Born Quote by Nathaniel Hawthorne
“Halfway down a by-street of one of our New England towns stands a rusty wooden house, with seven acutely peaked gables, facing towards various points of the compass, and a huge, clustered chimney in the midst. The street is Pyncheon Street; the house is the old Pyncheon House; and an elm-tree, of wide circumference, rooted before the door, is familiar to every town-born child by the title of the Pyncheon Elm.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1851
A detailed description of a historic, ornate house and its surrounding elm, evoking local lore.
In simple terms: An old, ornate house with a famous elm.
Key Takeaway
Observe how setting shapes story atmosphere.
Themes
architecture
history
place
memory
Mood
nostalgic
melancholic
Type
descriptive
literary
When to use this quote
- tourist guides
- historical preservation
- literary analysis
Key Concepts
gothic literature
regional identity
Questions to Reflect On
- How does architecture reflect community identity?
- What emotions does the elm evoke?
A Different Perspective
May romanticize decay.
