The House of the Seven Gables Lesson Plan

Pay attention to Hepzibah's interaction with Uncle Venner. What does this exchange tell us about the importance of perception, and the different ways in which the primary characters perceive each other?

In contrast to the narrator's (and Hepzibah's) perception of Hepzibah as a very old woman, whose opening of a shop seems ridiculous, Uncle Venner perceives Hepzibah as relatively young and perfectly capable of the task at hand. Their exchange also involves Judge Pyncheon, whom Uncle Venner clearly perceives largely favorably. Hepzibah reluctantly acknowledges that her cousin is thought to have a pleasant smile, though it's clear that she herself perceives him as a villain.