It's all about the Intro

Script Cards are nice and all, but use them wisely.

In other words, don't take one of the most interesting parts of the story, and then just show a couple of text cards about it.

I loved Hawthorne's introductory chapter. It captured my imagination and drew me into the story. And really, isn't that also what the first ten minutes of a film are supposed to do? They always tell us to show, don't tell. Well, the creators of this film version of the House of the Seven Gables tell. Then after telling, they dream up what might have happened thirty years before the beginning of the novel. And they get it all wrong.

I would have started the film with visuals of Matthew Maule's modest home by Maule's well. I would then have shown Colonel Pyncheon, the accusations, the hanging, the tearing down of Maule's home, the building of the Colonels. The curse of Maule could have been the final sequence in the montage. But no. Insead, they show nothing at all.

And yes. This is only the beginning of diversions from Hawthorne's vision.

WC: 185

Holgrave the Artist

In many ways the character of Holgrave reminds me of most artists. He carries his work with him wherever he goes. He has it in his pocket, ready to whip it out and read it to whoever will listen. He will take any job that puts bread on the table and allows him to do his work. I found it very appropriate that no matter what job Holgrave took, he stayed the same. For the artist, the manner of the work is of little consequence. It is a means to an end. The artist will take nearly any job in order to fund their art. If only, if only, the artist could get paid for doing the work he loves. For his real job lies not in his education; it is in his art.

A good artist does his research. And my, but has Holgrave done his research. Somehow he seems to know a lot about the Pyncheons and the Maules, perhaps more than any living member of either family. He has taken up residence in the center of all the drama. He is here to observe, to document.

The daguerreotypist's interest in Clifford is a very interesting one. He observes Clifford closely; perhaps he is taking notes for characterization for his story. For Holgrave, as with any artist, the world around him, and the people around him, are extremely interesting. And who wouldn't enjoy a front row seat into the drama of the Pyncheons. Crazy people are just insanely interesting. I can't blame Holgrave for being curious.

Lastly, and here my rambling ends, there is a power in Holgrave's work, a power that every writer wishes to have. We all would like to mesmerize our audience, though perhaps not to the degree that Holgrave captures Phoebe. On second thought, I take that back; the power to hypnotize as such would be quite incredible, so long as we are not merely putting our subjects to sleep.

WC: 326

The Necessity to Adapt

Accepting change is an extremely difficult thing for anyone. Those who grow up with a closed mind, and do not nurture that closed mind in early adulthood will find themselves fixed in that thinking, quite possibly, for the rest of their lives. To break such thinking nears impossibility.

Ah, aristocracy. There is nothing like ingraining rich kids with the idea that they are better than the poor kids. Class distinctions are a hard thing to break. Though on a smaller level, they still exist today. The well-off, the outwardly beautiful, and those who come from a certain pedigree(think the Kennedys) fall into the "popular" group in our high schools. Because of their status, they are often favored by the administration, the teachers, and the coaches. Eventually, however, once graduation has passed, the playing field is leveled a bit. Being a member of a rich or prominent family still helps later in life, whether it be obtaining a job or entrance into a special school.

Lets return back to our story. We have discussed time and time again how the house symbolizes Hepzibah. Both are aristocratic, representing the old way. The Pyncheon pedigree is in shambles. The House of the Seven Gables is in shambles. Hepzibah has been in shambles for a while. No one really cares about the aristocracy anymore. Hepzibah needs to adapt in order to survive.

And so she does. We meet Hepzibah at her moment of transformation. She is doing what is necessary for survival. The house, interestingly enough, is adapting as well. To preserve itself, it has allowed its entryway to be converted into a shop. Both are adapting.

Hawthorne continues this parallel between Hepzibah and the house when Phoebe arrives. Phoebe, whom we have discussed as symbolizing sunshine, not only brightens up Hepzibah (and Clifford) upon her arrival, but one of the first things that she does is change the mood of the house. She brightens it up with flowers. The transformation continues, and the house survives.

But will this be enough for the House of Seven Gables and its old maid? We shall see.

WC: 350

A bit theme heavy, aren't "we"

It seems that for the next few weeks, "we" will be doing a lot of observation into the life of Hepzibah, and possibly other Pyncheons, oh, and maybe a few Maules. And a really big decaying house in Salem (it is Salem, right?).

The first chapter of The House of Seven Gables could not possibly be more heavy. This is quite a dense piece of work. The unjustness of class distinction has already been raised. Another common theme is that of the rich man building his empire upon the blood of others. I do not doubt that Daniel Plainview took a note or two out of Colonel Pyncheon's book when he built his oil empire.

As far as the building of the Pyncheon mansion, one cannot help but thing of Stevenson's Kidnapped; one can almost hear a woman yelling through the streets of Salem, "Blood built it, blood stopped the building of it, and blood will bring it down." Certainly the curse upon the House of Shaws is similar to the curse of the House of Seven Gables, "God will give him blood to drink." Both houses were built upon blood. This seems to be a common theme in literature (and modern horror films). How many times have we seen a structure doomed by the ghosts of Indians, jilted lovers, or any other manifestation you can imagine. (Lesson 1: Never build your house upon an ancient Indian burial ground)

Houses and their histories. Quite fascinating really. Four walls are perfect for keeping secrets. True, a thin wall may allow a few more vocal accounts to be heard by the community, but most houses hide a lot of secrets. When thinking of the Pyncheons, one can't help but think of the Kane family or those Magnificent Ambersons. If walls could talk(or mirrors), a lot of remarkable tales would ring in our ears.

Whether it be Orson Welles, Robert Louis Stevenson, or Nathaniel Hawthorne, everybody likes to tell the tales of a great house and its great fall.

WC: 336

Balian's Novel Ideas

Consider this the first post of a branch out of my main blog, Balian's Archive.

This blog will deal with considerations upon the four novels I will be studying in a Topics in Literature class this semester. Looking forward to learning a lot from these novels and their respective authors over the next several months.

In this blog I will record thoughts, ideas, and considerations regarding the works I will be studying. Of particular interest to me is how these works correspond with society today, how they have shaped it, how they were ahead(or behind) their times. It always amazes me how much one piece of literature can influence a society, even hundreds of years later.

So today I begin reading Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of Seven Gables. I look forward to sharing my thoughts in the near future.

That's all I have to say about that.
Balian