Mental Issues In The House Of The Seven Gables

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Mental Problems in The House of the Seven Gables In The House of the Seven Gables, signs of mental disorders appear in several of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s characters. Both Matthew Maule and Colonel Pyncheon leave a legacy of obsession and revenge that their descendents commit to continue, causing mental problems throughout the generations. These distorted feelings affect the characters’ mental health in different ways -- some directly and others unintentionally. Matthew Maule’s grandson, Matthew Maule II, feels entitled to reattain the Maule land and seek revenge on the Pyncheons who took it, thus leading him to act on his obsessive thoughts. When Matthew comes to The House of the Seven Gables as Gervayse Pyncheon’s hired carpenter, it becomes clear that his visit has a deeper purpose. He mutters to himself, “...my old grandfather, the wizard, will be pretty sure to stick to the Pyncheons as long as their walls hold together” (130), prominently …show more content…
Because she lives in solidarity for twenty-five years, her loneliness creates a fear that makes it difficult for her to leave the house. When Hepzibah reopens the shop, she finds it extremely hard to interact with customers, even letting them take items without purchase. This leads to failure in the business and a constant mental battle between Hepzibah and her anxieties. The narrator describes her in a situation, saying, “Yet there was nothing fierce in Hepzibah’s poor old heart; nor had she, at the moment, a single bitter thought against the world at large, or one individual man or woman. She wished them all well, but wished, too, that she herself were done with them and in her quiet grave” (28). Hepzibah has such a kind soul, yet she would rather wish for her own death than to surround herself with others; a mental issue in
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