The House of the Seven Gables (Nathaniel Hawthorne)

*The House of the Seven Gables* by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a gothic novel centered on a historic, creaky mansion with a dark past. It explores themes of guilt, retribution, and the influence of history on the present. The story follows the Pyncheon family, whose ancestors’ sins have haunted their lineage, and how the current characters grapple with these inherited burdens. Through complex characters and atmospheric setting, Hawthorne examines moral responsibility, the effects of greed, and the possibility of redemption, using the house as a symbol of history’s lingering impact on individuals and society.