Final answer:
Matthew Maule wants the Pyncheon family to recognize his claim to the property that was wrongfully taken from his grandfather, and he seeks retribution partially through his interactions with Alice Pyncheon in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel.
Step-by-step explanation:
Matthew Maule, a character in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The House of the Seven Gables, desires to retrieve what he believes is rightfully his, which is the property wrongfully taken from his grandfather by Colonel Pyncheon. The Maules believe that the Pyncheons have prospered at their expense through acquiring land that did not rightfully belong to them. Matthew Maule specifically wants the Pyncheon family to recognize his claim and return the property or provide compensation. His interactions with Alice Pyncheon are part of his broader quest to reclaim his family's rights and dignity, and in the story, he uses his supposed supernatural abilities to manipulate and ultimately seek retribution against the Pyncheon family.