Aylmer Research Paper

The plot involving nature revolves around Aylmer’s “degree of faith in man’s ultimate control over nature”, which Hawthorne hints at the beginning of the story (215-225). When Hawthorne says that Aylmer may want control of nature, he means that Aylmer wants to be more powerful than nature and be able to conquer its creations. Aylmer believes that the blemish on his wife’s cheek makes her “imperfect” because it shows that nature allows nothing to be flawless, despite many people thinking that Georgina is. She is the representation of natural pureness and also sees the flaw on her face as a blessing of nature, until Aylmer convinces her it must be removed for her to be perfect (“The Birthmark”). Georgiana seems to have some control over her husband with the nature inside her as she sings a song to make him feel better; however, Aylmer has no way to control his wife and her birthmark with science and this aggravates him to no end (SparkNotes Editors). Aylmer and Georgiana know that they will never be happy in their marriage until the birthmark is removed because of how disgusted Aylmer becomes with the thought of nature controlling him and his wife (“The Birthmark, An Introduction”). The removable of the birthmark is the ultimate test of Aylmer’s reputation of being one of the best scientists of his time (“The Birthmark”). He will not rest until the birthmark is removed, giving him the satisfaction that he is more

The narrator seeks to justify this error or lack in Aylmer by explaining that “it was not unusual for the love of science to rival the love of woman in its depth and absorbing energy.” Already at the outset of the tale, the reader perceives that Georgiana is going to be shortchanged in this marriage, that an external struggle with her husband will cause an internal struggle within. She is exposed to the problem initially when her husband asks whether “it never occurred to you that the mark upon your cheek might be removed?'' Aylmer is in quest of physical perfection in his wife; unfortunately he discounts her inner, spiritual value so clearly manifested in her comment: ``To tell you the truth it has been so often called a charm that I was simple enough to imagine it might be so.'' In using the word “simple” she is being honest and not sarcastic; she is being humble and respectful of others’

Feelings of beauty, perfection and obsession are made very clear in The Birthmark and in Ligeia, Both husbands are obsessed with their beautiful wives. After going over each of the stories in class the stories made more sense and I noticed small details that made each of the stories more clear. I pondered to myself if Aylmer truly loved his wife Georgiana or if he really just obsessed over the idea of perfection. I also thought about The narrator's drug addiction of opium in Ligeia and how this could affect his feelings towards his wife. I do not question that the narrator loved his wife in Ligeia, but in the birthmark I think Aylmer was truly just consumed with the idea of perfection which he made it very clear to Georgiana this birthmark was the cause of her not being perfect.

This personification of nature as a woman is something that is prevalent through most literary works to the point I would consider it an archetype. Aylmer believes that he can use science to remove the imperfection nature has placed on his wife. I believe Aylmer’s choice to challenge nature symbolizes human kinds belief that they can overcome natures hold on their lives. As Aylmer and Georgiana sit in his lab he tells her of his lotion that when used “freckles may be washed away as easily as the hands are cleansed”. She asks if he plans to use the lotion on her birthmark and Aylmer replies” this is merely superficial. Your case demands a remedy that shall go deeper.” This again lends evidence that Aylmer not only sees his wife’s birthmark as a physical imperfection but also regards it as an imperfection of the

Human activity has changed Aylor almost entirely. It has started as a swamp, but human activity has changed the biome entirely from swampland to deciduous forest. The area around Aylor used to have moist soil. Now, the soil is prone to dry periods. Some of the soil has cracks in it. There used to be all sorts of vegetation and animal life, from dragonflies to cattail plants. Now, there is virtually no cattail plants, but there is now grass and weeds such as dandelions. The animal life is now replaced by various insects and the occasional bird. The ecosystem has changed so vastly that I, along with my classmates, could not tell at all that Aylor used to be a swamp until we were told.

As a scientist who views nature not as beautiful, but as flawed, Aylmer feels that it is in his power to “have corrected what Nature left imperfect in her fairest work!” (Hawthorne). Hawthorne added at the beginning of the story that Aylmer “persuaded a beautiful women to become his wife” (Hawthorne). However, it makes the audience question whether or not he truly loved her and her natural beauty or the fact that he loved the idea that he could make her as pretty as he thinks she could possibly be. Aylmer falls in love with Georgiana but soon he becomes very disgusted with her birthmark. Now, since he is coming to realization with his feelings and attraction to her, he wants to be in control of Georgiana’s beauty. Aylmer does not want to remove the mark from Georgiana’s face because it is ugly; he

As humans we all have obsessions to some extent, whether it is with a person or maybe a hobby. When does that obsession become too much? In the short story “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, it introduces Aylmer, a renowned scientist who is obsessed with removing a birthmark from his wife, Georgiana’s, left cheek. Aylmer is so steadfast on getting rid of Georgiana’s birthmark that he becomes evil and neglects his love for his wife. Although Georgiana’s birthmark is her one and only imperfection, Aylmer does not realize that the birthmark is the one thing that is keeping Georgiana alive until it is too late. Hawthorne implies in the text that Aylmer’s obsession with science becomes harmful when it becomes more important than his love for Georgiana. In this paper I

Aylmer’s obsession with countering nature eventually proved fatal to Georgiana and it took her life. “The parting breathe of the now perfect woman passed into the atmosphere” (Hawthorne 376). His overwhelming desire to fix his wife’s birthmark is a sign that his morals are severely out of place in comparison to those of other men in the short story. Many of the other men represented the other side of perception concerning the birthmark. They believed it was a sign of natural beauty and would have given anything to be with Georgiana. Whereas Aylmer believed it was a curse and that it had to be removed immediately.

To better understand Aylmer’s obsession we would need to analyze the symbolic meaning of Georgiana’s birthmark. After being with his wife for a while Aylmer acknowledges

The focus of their lives shifted from the happiness of a new marriage to an obsession with perfection. Aylmer was devoted to his idea of fabricating his wife into this perfect being; in removing the birthmark, he could avoid the idea of death which

Thus, the character Aylmer, in trying to remove his wife’s birthmark, tries to prove that perfection can be achieved, and that man can control Nature.

Aylmer is all about Science while she is all about romance. Barbara Eckstein states, “Romance is Georgina’s religion. It contributes to the metaphysical excesses of science as science contributes to the metaphysical excesses of romance” (511). He lives to create science experiments and do everything he can by using science. She on the other hand is all about making sure that he is satisfied and taken care of by using nothing but romance. Georgiana is like Aylmer’s maid, whatever he says she will do with no hesitation and no questions asked. “Combined, these two ideologies define the distribution of work in the story, the work of a man and a woman and of master and servant” (Eckstein 511). Her husband, Alymer, on the other hand sees it as a disgrace. He believes that the birthmark makes her unattractive and that upsets her. He believes it is a blemish that stains and taints her true beauty. Alymer ask her if she has ever thought to remove her birthmark and if he himself can remove it. Nathaniel Hawthorne writes in “The Birth-Mark”, “‘Dearest Georgiana, I have spent much thought upon the subject,’ hastily interrupted Aylmer. ‘I am convinced of the perfect practicability of its removal’” (343). Georgiana is all about her husband and agrees to go through with it if it satisfies him. Lynn Shakinovsky says, “Aylmer, a brilliant scientist, becomes obsessed with a mark on his wife's cheek, determines to eradicate it, and in doing so kills her” (269). Alymer

The unattainable perfection that Aylmer strives for in his experiments is dangerous, especially his experiment on his wife. Being blinded by his yearning for perfection Aylmer does not realize how beautiful Georgina actually is. The infatuation Aylmer has on the birthmark makes me think even if Georgina was perfect Aylmer would not care because then he would has nothing to do with her, so he’d find someone else in the world to “perfect”, because Aylmer said “...I rejoice in this single imperfection, since it will be such a rapture to remove it". Along with Aylmer’s strive for perfection his selfishness played a great hand in the death of

     In the lab where they begin to work on Georgiana is where we are introduced to the idea that there is a polarity between the spiritual and earthly sides of Aylmer and Aminadab. Aminadab is “ a man of low stature, but bulky frame, with shaggy hair hanging about his visage. This personage had been Aylmer’s underworker during his whole scientific career, and was admiably fitted for that office by his great mechanical readiness, he executed all the details of his master’s experiments.” He was basically making the whole lab run and doing all the work. Although he did was “ incapable of comprehending a single principal” he represented what Aylmer lacked. While Aylmer was “ slender, and had a pale, intellectual face” representing the spiritual element

Aylmer has studied broadly yet he still has no grasp on perfection. For example, the flower he creates for Georgiana withers immediately. When Georgiana touches the flower the narrator states, “the whole plant suffered a blight, it’s leaves turning coal-black as if by the agency of fire” (Hawthorne, 218). Georgiana tries to acquire the perfect flower but ultimately causes it to die. Her touch signifies the imperfections that are in all humans. The flower continues to die to express that an object that is perfect cannot live by being