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Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables.

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From: The Explicator
Date: 20020101
Author:Loges, Max

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables there is a comical contrast between the meaning of the name "Hepzibah" and the odd old maid who bears it. The name is taken from the Old Testament; it means "my delight is in her" (Strong 42). Hawthorne's character, however, is anything but delightful and is known far and wide for her perpetual scowl, which frightens children and irritates adults.

The name appears twice in the Old Testament, once in II Kings 21:1, where a passing reference is made to a Hepzibah as being the mother of King Manasseh. It occurs again in ...

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