Three Women in The House of the Seven Gables:Alice
Three Women in The House of the Seven Gables: Alice
Alice Pyncheon, an ancestor of Hepzibah and Phoebe who lived
for a time in Seven Gables, is described in Holgrave's story to Phoebe. He shows
a proud, disdainful woman who is hypnotized, becoming enslaved to the carpenter
Maule's will. Hepzibah offers a different view of Alice and makes reference
to her ghostly presence in the Seven Gables. Alice plays a smaller part in the
novel; her story is narrated by Holgrave in Chapter 13 "Alice Pyncheon," and
she is mentioned in Chapters 5,15,19 and 21.
In Chapter 5, "May and November," Hepzibah tells
Phoebe about the house and some of its former inhabitants, linking Alice Pyncheon
and her foreign education to the harpsichord found in the Seven Gables
Full text of Chapter 5 "May and November" from The House of the Seven
Gables
Illustrator's Depiction of Hepzibah's Boudoir Featuring Harpsichord
In Chapter 5, "May and November," Hepzibah also
provides her version of Alice's fate and the ways that she senses Alice's
presence around the house Full
text of Chapter 5, "May and November," from The House of the Seven
Gables
In Chapter 13, "Alice Pyncheon," Holgrave narrates a story he has written
about Alice Pyncheon and her fate. He highlights Alice's estrangement
from her New England environment. Full
text of Chapter 13 "Alice Pyncheon," from The House of the Seven Gables
Depiction of the House of the Seven Gables (courtesy of Houghton-Mifflin)
Holgrave narrates the crisis of Alice's encounter
with the carpenter Maule in Chapter 13, "Alice Pyncheon," underscoring Alice's
lack of knowledge of what will befall her. Full
text of Chapter 13 "Alice Pyncheon," from The House of the Seven
Gables .
In Chapter 21, "The Departure," implies that Alice's
ghost is free to leave the house, just as the living Pyncheons can escape
their imprisonment. Full
text of Chapter 21 "The Departure," from The House of the Seven Gables
