# Uncle Venner — The House of the Seven Gables character guide

> Uncle Venner in The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Venner, Old Uncle Venner, good Uncle Venner

**First appearance:** 0003-ii-the-little-shopwindow

## Snapshot

A cheerful old neighbor with a philosopher's tongue and a farmer's patience, he trades small kindnesses with the Pyncheons and watches their fortunes with wry affection.

## Who they are

Uncle Venner survives on odd jobs and neighborly goodwill, and his easy talk about life, death, and human folly makes him a fixture around the House of the Seven Gables. He is poor in purse but rich in equanimity, and his friendship with Hepzibah and Phoebe gives the decaying household a thread of warmth. His presence matters because he offers the novel's most humane counterweight to Pyncheon pride and Maule bitterness.

## Relationships

### [Hepzibah Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/hepzibah_pyncheon)

_friendship_

Uncle Venner is a kindly, philosophical old neighbor who offers Hepzibah companionship and gentle wisdom.

### [Phoebe Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/phoebe_pyncheon)

_friendship_

Phoebe shares a warm, friendly bond with Uncle Venner, who appreciates her kindness and domestic cheer.

### [Clifford Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/clifford_pyncheon)

_social_

Clifford enjoys Uncle Venner's gentle, philosophical company as a rare source of calm in his troubled life.

### [Hepzibah Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/hepzibah_pyncheon)

_friendship_

Uncle Venner is a kindly, philosophical old neighbor who offers Hepzibah companionship and gentle wisdom.

### [Phoebe Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/phoebe_pyncheon)

_friendship_

Phoebe shares a warm, friendly bond with Uncle Venner, who appreciates her kindness and domestic cheer.

### [Hepzibah Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/hepzibah_pyncheon)

_friendship_

Uncle Venner is a kindly, philosophical old neighbor who offers Hepzibah companionship and gentle wisdom.

### [Clifford Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/clifford_pyncheon)

_social_

Clifford enjoys Uncle Venner's gentle, philosophical company as a rare source of calm in his troubled life.

### [Phoebe Pyncheon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/phoebe_pyncheon)

_friendship_

Phoebe shares a warm, friendly bond with Uncle Venner, who appreciates her kindness and domestic cheer.

## In the story

### [II: The Little Shopwindow](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/ii-the-little-shopwindow)

An old man who passes by the shopwindow, one of the early morning tokens of the outside world that Hepzibah notices.

### [IV: A Day Behind the Counter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/iv-a-day-behind-the-counter)

Visits the shop, offers practical advice on shopkeeping, and hints at Clifford Pyncheon's anticipated return.

### [May and November](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/v-may-and-november)

Visits the shop several times, praises Phoebe's work, and compares her to an angel.

### [The Pyncheon Garden](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/x-the-pyncheon-garden)

Uncle Venner is a regular guest, sharing his wisdom and cheerful philosophy, and agrees to have his daguerreotype taken by Holgrave.

### [XI: The Arched Window](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/xi-the-arched-window)

Mentioned as part of the street life observed from the window.

### [XVI: Clifford's Chamber](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/xvi-clifford-s-chamber)

Seen limping down the street; Hepzibah wishes for his company to delay her painful task.

### [XIX: Alice’s Posies](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/xix-alice-s-posies)

Seen early in the morning trundling a wheelbarrow, collecting vegetable refuse for his pig.

### [The Departure](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/chapters/xxi-the-departure)

Present at the departure gathering in the parlor.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_of_the_seven_gables_se/characters/uncle_venner
- 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