Disorders in Hawethornes "The Birthmark" Essay

Many people have obsessions, but most do not take it to the extremes that they kill because of it. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” represents the blindness that happens when someone takes an obsession to the extreme and ignores the consequences of inept actions that result in deadly consequences. Aylmer, the husband, becomes obsessed with a “crimson birthmark” shaped like a small hand that is on the cheek of Georgiana, the wife. Alymer view the birthmark as a stain to his sensibilities and views on what is a “perfect” form based on his egotistic view of his wife. Unfortunately, his decent into madness sucks up even his wife into a mucky pool full of fear and self-loathing. She does this all just to please her husband, which ultimately results in her death. More then once I have heard that obsessed people are evil. Obsession by itself does not make a person evil. Obsession to the point that safety and life are put at risk is

It is impossible to reach perfection because even Almyer himself had imperfections, as we later find out when Georgiana is in the laboratory reading his accomplishments, as well as his downfalls. I don’t believe Almyer wanted Georgiana to find the book. Because he didn’t want her to realize he was imperfect as well. But, the only one that is truly perfect is God. In this piece Georgiana could have flipped the script on Almyer, and ask him about his imperfections. But, she only wanted for Alymer to be happy and to gain his approval, which is why it states “So deeply these reflections affect Georgiana that she laid her face upon the open

In his 1843 didactic short story "The Birthmark," Nathaniel Hawthorne writes about the shortcomings and negligence of those who seek perfection throughout their lives. Aylmer, mad scientist and main character, is greatly encouraged by a romantic reverie to seek the removal of an aggravating birthmark from his wife Georgiana's face. Aylmer becomes trapped in a trance by his aspirations to the point where "he had not been aware of the tyrannizing influence acquired by one idea over his mind, and of the lengths which he might find in his heart to go for the sake of giving himself peace" (Hawthorne 74). Similarity, in the short story "Editha," William Howells portrays how romantic ideals instill false confidence and support an unrealistic perception of the outside world. The powerful persuasion by an unrealistic psyche is illustrated through the phrase "pocket providence", showing to be nothing more than a contagion, creating uncertainty and untenable expectations in all that encounter it.

“The Birthmark”, a story about science and a warning to females that men will try to sexualize them. Aylmer, the main character in the story, has a really strong obsession with trying to remove his wife’s birthmark on her face. He was so obsessed with it, that it ended up taking over his life, he had dreams about it and he even told her that he couldn’t stand to look at her because of her birthmark. Aylmer wasn’t the typical human being in any sense, he is considered a mad scientist, and he had no ethics in what he does and is willing to try anything. He loses focus of his life and can’t love his wife for the woman he is. Hawthorne was the very opposite of this in real life, he married a sick woman, Sophia Peabody, she had poor health and it prolonged the marriage. But Hawthorne married

Have you ever strived to be an embodiment of perfectionism? Although there are few simple symbols in the story the The Birthmark that have conveyed such a deep intensive,meaning to them. The symbols used in the story The Birthmark is the Georgiana´s physical birthmark,and the science lab where Aylmer Georgiana husband does all his experiments. ¨ "Perfect" is not the only work ¨ (Keetley). Through the use of the physical mark and the lab, Nathaniel Hawthorne warns readers about the dangers of playing God?

Many people are born with a birthmark. These birthmarks usually are not considered to subtract from the beauty someone has. The main character in The Birthmark, feels differently. The short story The Birthmark, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, features many different archetypes. Most specifically, the story focuses on archetypal theme of life and death, which is exemplified by the Hawthorne’s implications as to how Georgiana acquired her birthmark. However, the story also uses the archetypal theme of love conquers all and the color red to further focus on human imperfections and why it is best to not to try perfecting them.

Georgiana’s birthmark is the main symbol in the story that could have multiple meanings. It is clear what the birthmark symbolizes when Georgiana declares, “I am happy to put my life in your hands,” (Hawthorne 3). Aylmer is ready to start his experiment when Georgiana says she is willing to be a part of it. What Aylmer does not know is that the birthmark actually symbolizes her mortality and when she says she is happy to put her life in his hands, she actually means that her birthmark is her lifeline and she is happy to put it in his hands. Aylmer wanted his wife to be perfect, but he only made the outcome worse with trying to remove the mark. Another example of symbolism is when Hawthorne writes, “The mark was usually a deep red color,” (Hawthorne 1). The color red could symbolize one of many different things, but it mainly symbolizes the color of blood. Blood is a main part of one’s body and mortality, and when the birthmark is described by its deep red color, it means that the mark is her source to life. After the tragic death of Georgiana, Aylmer finally realizes that the birthmark really had been her mortality. Aylmer is so deeply caught up in forcefully trying to get Georgiana to let him remove her birthmark, he does not recognize the true perfection that was there all along. Symbolism helps the theme that is portrayed throughout the story that trying to be flawless results in a devastation.

Aylmer's struggle for scientific perfection transcends human possibility in Nathaniel Hawthome's "The Birthmark." He attempts to perfect that which nature rendered imperfect. When the quest for human achievement opposes divine design it has no chance of succeeding. This key element in Aylmer's twisted love leads to the demise of what he seeks so desperately to perfect, his beautiful wife. Georgianna's "fatal flaw of humanity" (Hawthorne 167), the birthmark, blocks her from perfection in his eyes, and thus blemishes Aylmer's prideful ideals. Her alleged inferiority to science leads to her death and Aylmer's complete failure as both a scientist and a spouse.

In Nathaniel Hawthorn’s short story “The Birthmark,” Alymer and Georgiana, which could have been a sweet love story turns into a frightening experience. Alymer becomes obsessed with removing a small birthmark on Georgiana’s cheek. He insisted that it is the only think that keeps her from being beautiful. Alymer is a scientist and believes he can fix anything and is sure he can create a potion to fix her. Georgiana becomes upset by the comments made by her husband, because her previous boyfriends told her it added a charm. She hints to Alymer that the birthmark may be a connection between her and life. However, Alymer continues to complain about how awful it is. He dreams about her birthmark and cringes when it’s in sight. Georgiana loves Alymer

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” was written in 1843, a time in which the world was beginning to become more understanding of science and its ability to possibly alter the course of certain aspects in life, such as nature. “The Birthmark” is a work of literature that displays this idea as well as any other work written in this time period. It clearly presents that Aylmer, one of the main characters in “The Birthmark,” is one of the members of society that believes science can change the course that nature has taken. This mentality is the main source of conflict in “The Birthmark” because Aylmer is determined to remove a birthmark from the cheek of his wife, Georgiana. Among Aylmer’s obsession with the removal of Georgiana’s birthmark

Soon after Aylmer tells his spouse that the mark on her face bothers him, she practically begs him to remove it. Aylmer is more than happy to remove the birthmark and has no doubt that he can do so. While discussing the removal on page 316, he tells Georgiana that he “feels fully competent” to “render [Georgiana’s] cheek as faultless as its fellow.” He goes on to describe the sense of triumph he will feel when it is finally corrected. He only cares about the removal of the birthmark and not what may happen to his wife. Even though the mark bothers him, he reveals to Georgiana that “even [he] rejoices in this simple imperfection, since it will be such a rapture to remove it” (Hawthorne 318). This shows that Georgiana is not the love of Aylmer’s life, but rather science. He puts all of his faith directly into it. Barbara Eckstein states that “Aylmer’s study of minute details becomes a system of belief for Aylmer” (517). Even after Georgiana faints on page 317, Aylmer is “without alarm; for he was confident in his science, and felt that he could draw a magic circle round her within which no evil might intrude” (Hawthorne). This seems ludicrous to most people, but Aylmer had absolute faith in

The conflict of The Birthmark directly involves Georgiana’s birthmark. Alymer has this strange obsession and disgust of her birthmark. She is so perfect in every way except for birthmark that it haunts him. This not only creates conflict with Aylmer and his love for his wife, but also with his wife and her love for herself.

One of those signature tales is “The Birth-Mark”; it is a story about the union between a man of science, Aylmer, and a woman of beauty, Georgina (Hawthorne 12). Hawthorne adorned this piece with deep, thought provoking symbols; such as the one on Georgina’s cheek. The mark is more than just a physical attribute on her skin; to Aylmer, it was a “symbol of his wife's liability to sin, sorrow, decay, and death”, in essence the mark is her humanity (14). All humanity strives to get rid of their defects; as well as Aylmer, as his experiment is to rid Georgina of her flaws. The birthmark became more and more present to Aylmer after his marriage; he began observing his wife’s appearance and developed a morbid obsession with the “singular mark” on her cheek (13). The mark is described as being “deeply interwoven” in her skin; it is a part of her being, and not just of her appearance (13). The birthmark resembles a hand; the shape’s importance is recognized

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, unless the beholder is a perfectionist. Those who perceive that beauty is perfection are unable to see anything as beautiful, for perfection, is unattainable. In The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Aylmer, rather than loving his wife Georgiana’s beautiful attributes, objectifies her into a single flaw, her birthmark. Hawthorne develops the relationship between Aylmer and Georgiana through the birthmark in order to exemplify Aylmer’s scientific need for perfection. Imagine winning a new television in a raffle, only to bring it home and find it has a dent, scratch or broken piece.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel “The Birthmark” Literature and the Writing Process, edited by Elizabeth McMahan, believed that Aylmer’s belief is that to have life there must be imperfection and losing imperfection was losing life. She explains as she shows us how “The Birthmark” which is a story filled with symbolisms and irony. Hawthorne displayed this belief in his short story "The Birthmark”, which is about a scientist named Aylmer who becomes disgusted by his wife, Georgiana’s tiny birthmark on her left cheek and kills her in the process of trying to remove it. He sees it as a flaw in his beautiful wife. Georgiana knows that her birthmark disgusts him. She began to feel disgusted by this birthmark when she realizes her husband’s disgust with it; she had never felt hate for herself until she realizes his feelings toward her birthmark. He asks if she has ever considered having it removed. This is not something she never looked at this way before, considering that other people in her life, especially men, had always seen it as a “charm”. Aylmer was not trying to just get rid of Georgiana's birthmark, rather, he was trying to change nature, He believed he had control over it. That's where things took a toll for and up for the worst. Aylmer had a hard time accepting imperfections in life.