Journal Entry 12/30/2015: The House of the Seven Gables

"The sick in mind, and, perhaps, in body, are rendered more darkly and hopelessly so by the manifold reflection of their disease, mirrored back from all quarters in the deportment of those about them; they are compelled to inhale the poison of their own breath, in infinite repetition" (Hawthorne 144). 

     This passage, as it appears in the novel, is extremely powerful, hinting at more than just the current situation. It strikes one of my soft spots as a reader due to Hawthorne's elegant use of language and its inner reality. Hawthorne crafts his language so precisely, making this passage sound as beautifully dark as it is real. It's easy to extend this passage beyond just how it appears in the text, especially if one were to have experienced what I have. 

     Prior to the passage's appearance, Phoebe had been taking care of recent ex-con, Clifford Pyncheon, with stressed detail on the bond that the two had developed. This passage occurs almost suddenly, breaking away from the main characters for the first time in a long stretch, feeling as if Hawthorne meant for this particular part to stick out. Its reality is much deeper to me than can be connected through text. Modernized, this means people who are ill are made worse by people's perception of their illness, as if cursed. In my hometown, people were guilty of this, making troubled minds feel even worse. After reading this, I can verify the sensitive reality: people conditioned into retardation. Sound familiar, followers?

Word Count: 200