The subject of this anonymous poem, published in theBoston Daily Evening Transcriptin 1850, is the daguerreotype, and early form of photography from the middle of the nineteenth century. The very fact that a technology received this form of attention, being the subject of a poem, clearly states that it was of some importance and lingered in people’s minds. The invention itself and its enormous popularity took place around the same decades that Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote and published many of his major works, includingThe House of the Seven Gables.“Etching his text with strokes of ambiguity and dubiety, Hawthorne draws widely on figural terms from the popular discourse of the daguerreotype circulating in the print culture of the 1840s and early 1850s” (Trachtenberg 33). In the course of this paper the development of the daguerreotype, its influence on the American culture and its obvious manifestation inThe House of the Seven Gablesshall be analysed. Hawthorne used the character of Holgrave, the daguerreotypist, not only to solve the old mystery surrounding the Pyncheon family, but also to point at the art’s relevance for his contemporary culture. “Sharing features of both ‘Novel’ and ‘Romance’, of science and magic, of modernity and tradition, the daguerreotype plays a strategic role in the narrative as an emblem of the ambiguity that the tale will affirm as the superior mark of ‘Romance’” (Trachtenberg 31). In the sixteenth century, thecamera obscurawas the first invention to project images onto surfaces, yet not fixing it. The only way of creating a lasting image was the art of drawing and painting. Towards the middle of the eighteenth century the invention of Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre (1787-1851) revolutionized the existing world if iconography. The so-called daguerreotype marked out the possibilities and represented an entirely new perspective of portraiture. The new technique appeared first in 1839 and it was “to extend the field of representation and to wrest an important iconographical role from drawing, in particular in the area if documentation and illustration“ (Lemagny 20). Up till then, fixation and reproduction were the two large challenges. As traditional paintings were very time-consuming and costly, there were numerous attempts to use the technique of thecamera obscurain order to produce images in some sort of fixed form. [...]
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 The daguerreotype and its cultural rise
2.1 The invention
2.2 Daguerreotypy’s popularization in the United States
2.3 Portraiture
2.4 Portability and Celebrity Cult
2.5 The Significance of physiognomy for the daguerreotype
3 Daguerreotypy in The House of the Seven Gables
3.1 Display of physiognomic aspects in the novel
3.2 Hypocrisy, daguerreotypy and deception
3.3 Relevance of Light and Sunshine
4 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This academic paper examines the historical development and cultural impact of the daguerreotype in nineteenth-century America, specifically analyzing its thematic role and manifestation within Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel "The House of the Seven Gables."
- The evolution of early photography and the daguerreotype process.
- The relationship between daguerreotypy, physiognomy, and concepts of truth and deception.
- The symbolic role of light and sunshine in Hawthorne’s narrative structure.
- The interaction between "Romance," modernity, and tradition in literature.
- The characterization of Holgrave as the daguerreotypist and his function in the plot.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Hypocrisy, daguerreotypy and deception
The House of the Seven Gables explicitly accentuates the significance of physiognomic features, which is not only shown to lead to deception but also to its discovery and thus the solution of the puzzle. In any case, his treatment of the relation between physiognomy and the daguerreotype is rather ambivalent as will be shown in the following analysis. The first suggestion to this ambivalent treatment is the clear dichotomy between Hepzibah’s outer appearance, her scowl, and her truly good natured character. Even though she scares people away, which eventually leads to her living very isolated and alone at the mansion, she is still always presented as a genuinely nice person. She cares very much about the people surrounding her, especially her brother Clifford. She spent years waiting for him to return home from his wrongful imprisonment, and in addition to that even leaves the only home she has in order to save Clifford from a possible conviction after the Judge’s death. Despite her first hesitation to let Phoebe move into the mansion, she develops a benign affection towards her and even encourages her to leave the place when she notices that Phoebe has lost her cheerfulness there. The character of Hepzibah thus represents an example of someone who is in fact the exact opposite of her physiognomic expression, and therefore contradicts the common physiognomic conclusions of the time.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the daguerreotype as an influential 19th-century technology and outlines the paper's goal to analyze its role in Hawthorne's literary work.
2 The daguerreotype and its cultural rise: This section covers the technical invention of the process and its subsequent rapid popularity in the United States.
2.1 The invention: Discusses the contributions of Niépce and Daguerre in creating a functional, light-sensitive photographic process.
2.2 Daguerreotypy’s popularization in the United States: Details the rapid expansion of studios and the public fascination with the accuracy of photographic images.
2.3 Portraiture: Examines the shift in demand for affordable portraiture and the role of the daguerreotype in memorializing family members.
2.4 Portability and Celebrity Cult: Explores the rise of collectable portrait albums and how celebrities used the medium to influence their public image.
2.5 The Significance of physiognomy for the daguerreotype: Connects the practice of photography to the pseudoscience of judging human character through facial features.
3 Daguerreotypy in The House of the Seven Gables: Analyzes the specific integration of photographic themes into Hawthorne’s narrative.
3.1 Display of physiognomic aspects in the novel: Investigates how characters like Hepzibah and Judge Pyncheon are subjected to physiognomic prejudice within the novel.
3.2 Hypocrisy, daguerreotypy and deception: Analyzes the dichotomy between outer appearance and inner character as revealed through the lens of the daguerreotypist.
3.3 Relevance of Light and Sunshine: Discusses sunshine as a recurring symbol of truth, moral goodness, and a necessary, albeit physically problematic, element for the daguerreotype process.
4 Conclusion: Summarizes how historio-cultural developments shaped the novel and posits that the supernatural elements in the text offer a solution to narrative puzzles.
Keywords
Daguerreotype, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The House of the Seven Gables, Physiognomy, 19th Century, Photography, Holgrave, Pyncheon Family, Mesmerism, Symbolism, Portraiture, Nineteenth-Century Culture, Literary Analysis, Sunshine, Hypocrisy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research explores the cultural significance of the daguerreotype in the mid-19th century and how Nathaniel Hawthorne integrated this technology into the themes and characterization of his novel "The House of the Seven Gables."
Which specific themes are addressed in this paper?
The paper covers the history of photography, the pseudoscience of physiognomy, the social celebrity cult, and the symbolic use of light, sunshine, and deception in literature.
What is the primary goal of the analysis?
The primary goal is to demonstrate how Hawthorne used the daguerreotypist character, Holgrave, and the discourse around early photography to comment on his contemporary culture and solve the mystery within the novel.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The author employs a qualitative literary analysis, drawing upon historical context regarding the daguerreotype and comparative study of Hawthorne's text against contemporary cultural assumptions.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section details the rise of the daguerreotype, its connection to physiognomy, and a deep-dive into how these elements function as motifs of hypocrisy and truth within the Pyncheon family history.
Which keywords best describe the work?
Key terms include daguerreotype, physiognomy, Hawthorne, The House of the Seven Gables, portraiture, and symbolism.
How does the author characterize the role of Hepzibah Pyncheon?
Hepzibah is presented as a tragic figure who suffers from physiognomic prejudice, as her stern, scowling appearance is incorrectly interpreted by society as a reflection of an ill-tempered soul.
Why does the author argue that the Judge’s daguerreotype is a "deliberate mystery"?
The author points out that, based on historical technical constraints described in the novel, taking a successful photograph in the dark, gloomy parlor of the Pyncheon house would be impossible, suggesting Hawthorne used this as a hint toward the supernatural.
- Quote paper
- Kerstin Müller (Author), 2006, The Socio-Cultural Influence of the Daguerreotype and its Representation in Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/57926
