Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1851 novel House of the Seven Gables tells the story of a decrepit, centuries-old New England mansion, the strange and peculiar families associated with it, and a mysterious inherited curse handed down from the days of Salem witchcraft.  This class will explore how the novel reflects the author’s biography and family history, while examining the ways the book engages with the tradition of Gothic fiction and the pressing issues of mid-nineteenth century America.

Participants are encouraged to read the novel in advance of the class.