True to its roots as a Gothic novel, the atmosphere of The House of the Seven Gables broods with ambiguity and fear, with this uncertainty culminating in moments of heightened suspense. ... Without this clarity, we, like Phoebe, become fearful-however, the pervasiveness of ambiguity challenges us to consider how indistinct our world truly may be, and if it is as ambiguous as the world of The House of the Seven Gables, why we feel entitled to clarity in an unclear world. ... However, later in the novel after Hepzibah discovers Judge Jaffrey dead, she senses that a "stifling atmosphere of ...

• Word Count: 1547
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Graduate