# Holgrave — The House of the Seven Gables character guide > Holgrave in The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Mr. Holgrave, the artist Holgrave **First appearance:** 0001-the-house-of-the-seven-gables ## Snapshot A young daguerreotypist boarding in a gable, he preaches that the past should be torn down even as he quietly studies its faces. ## Who they are Holgrave rents a room in the House of the Seven Gables and earns his bread by taking likenesses, an art he claims exposes the soul beneath the surface. He speaks like a reformer who would sweep away old families, old houses, and old wrongs, yet his manner with Phoebe is gentle, and his knowledge of the Pyncheon history is unnervingly intimate. His presence plants the novel's central question—whether the sins of the fathers can be escaped or only repeated—and his growing bond with Phoebe gives that question a human face. ## Relationships ### [Phoebe Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/phoebe_pyncheon) _romantic_ Holgrave and Phoebe develop a romantic relationship, with his mysterious past and her sunny nature creating a deep bond. ### [Hepzibah Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/hepzibah_pyncheon) _social_ Hepzibah rents a room to Holgrave, a daguerreotypist, and treats him with cautious but growing respect. ### [Clifford Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/clifford_pyncheon) _social_ Clifford is intrigued by Holgrave's youthful energy and modern ideas, though they have limited direct interaction. ### [Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/judge_jaffrey_pyncheon) _rivalry_ Holgrave secretly opposes Judge Jaffrey, knowing the Judge's corruption and his role in the Pyncheon family's dark history. ### [Matthew Maule](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/matthew_maule) _family_ Holgrave is a descendant of Matthew Maule, carrying on the family's legacy and seeking a form of justice against the Pyncheons. ### [Phoebe Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/phoebe_pyncheon) _romantic_ Holgrave and Phoebe develop a romantic relationship, with his mysterious past and her sunny nature creating a deep bond. ### [Phoebe Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/phoebe_pyncheon) _romantic_ Holgrave and Phoebe develop a romantic relationship, with his mysterious past and her sunny nature creating a deep bond. ### [Hepzibah Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/hepzibah_pyncheon) _social_ Hepzibah rents a room to Holgrave, a daguerreotypist, and treats him with cautious but growing respect. ### [Clifford Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/clifford_pyncheon) _social_ Clifford is intrigued by Holgrave's youthful energy and modern ideas, though they have limited direct interaction. ### [Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/judge_jaffrey_pyncheon) _rivalry_ Holgrave secretly opposes Judge Jaffrey, knowing the Judge's corruption and his role in the Pyncheon family's dark history. ### [Matthew Maule](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/matthew_maule) _family_ Holgrave is a descendant of Matthew Maule, carrying on the family's legacy and seeking a form of justice against the Pyncheons. ### [Hepzibah Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/hepzibah_pyncheon) _social_ Hepzibah rents a room to Holgrave, a daguerreotypist, and treats him with cautious but growing respect. ## In the story ### [II: The Little Shopwindow](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/ii-the-little-shopwindow) A daguerreotypist and lodger in a remote gable of the house, mentioned as a quiet presence during Hepzibah's solitary morning. ### [III: The First Customer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/iii-the-first-customer) Visits Hepzibah to offer encouragement and becomes her first customer, though she refuses his payment. He speaks philosophically about the value of honest effort over inherited status. ### [Maule's Well](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/vi-maule-s-well) Shows Phoebe a daguerreotype revealing a hidden sternness, proposes they share garden work, and warns her about Maule's well. ### [The Pyncheon Garden](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/x-the-pyncheon-garden) Holgrave joins the Sunday gatherings, attempts to enliven Clifford, and shows a questionable depth of interest in the scene. ### [XII: The Daguerreotypist](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/xii-the-daguerreotypist) Speaks earnestly against the Past; reveals he writes stories for magazines; reads a legend about the Pyncheon family. ### [XIV: Phoebe’s Goodbye](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/xiv-phoebe-s-goodbye) Finishes his story, nearly mesmerizes Phoebe but resists, and speaks of his mystical blood and role as a spectator of the Pyncheon drama. ### [XVI: Clifford's Chamber](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/xvi-clifford-s-chamber) Hepzibah briefly considers him a potential champion but finds his room empty; his daguerreotype of the Judge is noted. ### [XX: The Flower of Eden](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/xx-the-flower-of-eden) Reveals the Judge's death to Phoebe, explains the hereditary nature of the death, and confesses his love for her. He feels a wild joy in their shared secret. ### [The Departure](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/xxi-the-departure) Reveals the secret spring in Colonel Pyncheon's portrait; admits to becoming a conservative; inherits wealth through Phoebe. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/holgrave - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters