How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
As [Matthew Maule II] stept into the house, a note of sweet and melancholy music thrilled and vibrated along the passage-way, proceeding from one of the rooms above stairs. It was the harpsichord which Alice Pyncheon had brought with her from beyond the sea. The fair Alice bestowed most of her maiden leisure between flowers and music, although the former were apt to droop, and the melodies were often sad. She was of foreign education, and could not take kindly to the New England modes of life, in which nothing beautiful had ever been developed. (13.19)
Alice Pyncheon is not flourishing in this harsh New England village because she is "of foreign education," and not adapted to these circumstances. Like Clifford Pyncheon, she is one of that "great class of people" (10.8) whom fate forces to go against their personal natures. But besides Alice's sad situation, we're also interested in Hawthorne's inferiority complex about "the New England modes of life, in which nothing beautiful had ever been developed." Yet. By which we mean, Hawthorne himself was one of the first great writers of a uniquely American experience. He himself has identified an artistic need for something "beautiful" developing out of "New England modes of life" – and he's writing something to fill that gap.
Quote #8
"You have lost nothing, Phoebe, worth keeping, nor which it was possible to keep," said Holgrave after a pause. "Our first youth is of no value; for we are never conscious of it until after it is gone. But sometimes—always, I suspect, unless one is exceedingly unfortunate – there comes a sense of second youth, gushing out of the heart's joy at being in love; or, possibly, it may come to crown some other grand festival in life, if any other such there be. This bemoaning of one's self (as you do now) over the first, careless, shallow gayety of youth departed, and this profound happiness at youth regained, – so much deeper and richer than that we lost, – are essential to the soul's development. In some cases, the two states come almost simultaneously, and mingle the sadness and the rapture in one mysterious emotion." (14.12)
Phoebe is growing up, and Mr. Holgrave is glad to see it. One of the things we find hilarious about Mr. Holgrave's way of expressing himself is that he speaks with so much weight and seriousness, as though he's some old sage or wise man on a mountain somewhere. But he's only 22! How much does he truly know firsthand about the essential stages of a soul's development? We think we can see glimmers here of the much older and more experienced author speaking through his character.
Quote #9
And allowing that, many, many years ago, in his early and reckless youth, he had committed some one wrong act, – or that, even now, the inevitable force of circumstances should occasionally make him do one questionable deed among a thousand praiseworthy, or, at least, blameless ones, – would you characterize the Judge by that one necessary deed, and that half-forgotten act, and let it overshadow the fair aspect of a lifetime? What is there so ponderous in evil, that a thumb's bigness of it should outweigh the mass of things not evil which were heaped into the other scale! This scale and balance system is a favorite one with people of Judge Pyncheon's brotherhood. A hard, cold man, thus unfortunately situated, seldom or never looking inward, and resolutely taking his idea of himself from what purports to be his image as reflected in the mirror of public opinion, can scarcely arrive at true self-knowledge, except through loss of property and reputation. (15.19)
Judge Pyncheon assesses the value of his life according to the big picture: he thinks that he's done "a thousand praiseworthy" things, so why should he care about one or two bad deeds along the way? It all balances out in his favor at the end, doesn't it? Obviously Judge Pyncheon is blinded by his insane pride – he doesn't exactly have a reliable moral compass on this matter. Do you think there is anything an individual can do to make up for ruining someone else's life? Is there any way to balance those moral scales?