ze many things in his book. The house also is used to symbolize a prison that has darkened the lives of its inmates forever. The house is a prison because it prevents its inhabitant's from truly enjoying any freedom. The inhabitants try to escape from their incarceration twice. Initially, as Phoebe and Clifford watch the parade of life in the street, Clifford "realizes his state of isolation from the 'one broad mass of existence-one great life, - one collected body of mankind,' and he cannot resist the actual physical attempt to plunge down into the 'surging stream of human sympathy'" (Rountree 101). Dillingham believes that "Hawthorne clearly describes Clifford's great need to become reunited with the world and hints that this reunion can be accomplished only by death" (Rountree 101). However, Clifford inevitably fails to win his freedom, and he returns to the solace of his prison house. Clifford and Hepzibah attempt once more to escape their captive prison, but the house has jaded them too much already (Rountree 102). Hepzibah and Clifford are completely cut off from the outside world. They are like prisoners who after being jailed for decades, return to find a world they do not know (Rountree 101). Clifford is deeply saddened when he says, " 'We are ghosts! We have no right among human beings - no right anywhere, but in this old house"(Hawthorne 169). The house has imprisoned their souls and trapped their lives. Hence, the house symbolizes a prison for its inhabitants.
             The house also symbolizes the history of the of Pyncheon family dating back to the original Colonel Pyncheon who had been cursed by Matthew Maule for the evil way in which the Colonel obtained the land for the house. The house has collected memories upon memories of the people who have lived there, beginning with its original owners the Colonel and Alice Pyncheon. E. P. Whipple who thinks that the house's elaborate interi...