Characters in The House of the Seven Gables

When considering all of the characters in The House of The Seven Gables, it is obvious that Judge Pyncheon is the book's undeniable antagonist. Indeed, Hawthorne's initial description of the Judge gives the reader immediate cause to suspect him of sinister intentions. The author hints at his insincerity as he describes:

aHis dark, square countenance, with its almost shaggy depth of eyebrows, was naturally impressive, and would, perhaps, have been rather stern, had not the gentleman considerably taken upon himself to mitigate the harsh effect by a look of exceeding good humor and benevolence. Owing, however, to a somewhat massive accumulation of animal substance about the lowe

. . .
ir uncle's estate. Judge Pyncheon's connection to Hawthorne's main theme becomes more obvious, however, when he is compared to his ancestor Colonel Pyncheon. Indeed, Colonel Pyncheon is responsible for the 'curse' that has been unleashed upon the family, which is the crux of Hawthorne's theme in The House of The Seven Gables. Because of Colonel Pyncheon's greed and cruelty, Matthew Maule cursed the Colonel's family. Judge Pyncheon is the heir to the Colonel's legacy in every way, as Hawthorne makes the similarities between the two men obvious. In fact, he bears an uncanny resemblance to the portrait of Colonel Pyncheon that still hangs in the house of the seven gables, and even Phoebe takes notice: a was it hereditary in him, and transmitted down, as a precious heirloom, from that bearded ancestor in whose picture both the expression, and to a singular degree, the features of the modern Judge were shown as by a kind of prophecy? a It implied that the weaknesses and defects, the bad passions, the mean tendencies, and the moral diseases which lead to crime are handed down from one generation to anothera (Hawthorne 108). In this sense, thus, Judge Pyncheon is the embodiment of Hawthorne's theme, as the reader sees the s
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Judge Pyncheon, Seven Gables, Colonel Pyncheon, Indeed Hawthorne's, Judge Pyncheon's, Judge Phoebe, Indeed Judgea, Indeed Hawthorne, Pyncheon Hawthorne's, Matthew Mule, judge pyncheon, house seven gables, house seven, seven gables, colonel pyncheon, hawthorne's main, main theme, hawthorne's main theme, judge pyncheon's, hawthorne's theme, pyncheon family, characters house seven, committed generation, ensemble cast characters, theme house seven,
Approximate Word count = 1523
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Characters in The House of the Seven Gables