Science vs. Nature as a Means of Obtaining Perfection in The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne

In the short allegory “The Birthmark”, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a newly-wed couple becomes consumed by the existence of a small birthmark on the wife’s face. When the wife, Georgiana, allows her husband Aylmer, a scientist, to remove the birthmark, both realize that Georgiana will inevitably sacrifice her life for the sake of its removal. As the story progresses, so does the confliction of the newlyweds as they realize exactly what the birthmark symbolized to and for each other. Hawthorne’s hallmark use of symbolism also provides a ‘perfect’ glimpse into the mindset of two themes of psychological conflictions: perfectionism and codependency. Hawthorne seems to share this story as a possible moral of the hidden pathos we place upon the ones we love, and the invisible marks or standards we place upon ourselves for the ones we love.

In “The Birthmark”, a short story by Nathanial Hawthorne, the use of the archetypal conflict Nature vs. Science, the character of Damsel in Distress, and the symbol of the Incurable Wound show how easily beauty is overlooked in the endeavor for perfection.

The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne is trying to communicate some important ideas about a variety of themes, he articulates a few weighty themes around this brief argument: the struggle between science and nature. In a story full of successful and almost magical scientific experiments, it is intact nature itself that is more powerful than any creation made by man. As is to be expected, this path to perfection also includes the creation of life and the victory over death. In the birthmark Aylmer does not see, like others who pretended Georgiana's hand before him, a singularity that accentuates her immaculate beauty. He sees in that crimson little hand an indication of decay and death. And also of immorality and sin, in tune with the belief

Upon realizing just how much his wife’s birthmark bothered him, Aylmer made it his goal to do whatever was necessary to rid Georgiana of her only “imperfection”. While this story is a work of fiction, the way of thinking is anything but fictional. With the gender dynamic in this story in very centered around the man. The man is the one who makes the decisions, and the woman is expected to go along with them. If the man wants something of the wife, she is expected to do everything in her power to satisfy him. The woman, on the other hand, is often heavily pressured into submitting to this kind of unhealthy relationship. Whether she is blinded by love, afraid of what

Nathaniel Hawthorne like many other writers during the nineteenth century focused their writings on the darker aspects of life. “The Birthmark,” is set in New England and has a Puritan perspective. Aylmer, a well-known scientist, marries Georgiana who has a hand shaped birthmark upon her face. After some time during their marriage Aylmer and Georgiana decided to remove the mark through scientific means. Advancements in science and the ability to change nature were at the center of plots throughout their short stories and poems. Hawthorne believed that it was not unusual for science and women to rival for one man’s love (Hawthorne 12). Hawthorne used his critical thinking to write about taboos and dissention not spoken of during his lifetime to the forefront. In “The Birthmark,” Hawthorne focuses on science verses nature. Hawthorne attempted to create the perfect human being through science by using setting, character, and symbolism to undo the imperfections he saw within God’s work in “The Birthmark”. With all of his intellectual and spiritual qualities, Aylmer still does not have wisdom.

“The Birthmark” is a short story authored by Nathaniel Hawthorne and published in 1848. The story is about Aylmer, a brilliant scientist who is obsessed with science and is planning to use his experiments to remove a birthmark on the face of his wife Georgiana. Aylmer’s love for science made him yearn to obtain control of the entire divinity. His wife was among his victims of science that was stronger in him than the love he had for Georgiana. Aylmer became blind to science to the extent that he could not realize that he was damaging his wife and putting his marriage at risk. It examines the obsession with science and human perfection that often cause problems if not controlled as seen in the story. Hawthorne’s aim with this tale was to warn its readers regarding the dangers of science and knowledge with the story, and this is analyzed below.

Nathaniel Hawthorne shows the obsession of perfection in the story, “The Birthmark.” He uses the scientist, Aylmer, and his wife, Georgiana, to show that striving for perfection is unrealistic. In the story, the scientist creates the perfect wife, but dooms her to death because no one on earth can be perfect. The plot of “The Birthmark,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, helps to emphasize the desire for perfection.

“The birthmark”, a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1844 tells the story of a man obsessed with human perfection. He is a scientist by the name of Aylmer who has recently married a very beautiful woman named Georgina. Although Georgina is a beautiful woman, she has a birthmark in the shape of a tiny hand on her cheek. He sees the birthmark as a flaw and as an opportunity to perfect the already beautiful woman he loves. Aylmer, a perfectionist and ambitious scientist becomes obsessed with eradicating the birthmark, so much so that he plays with the natural order of human nature. At first, Georgina does not see her birthmark as a flaw, but as she sees her husband’s disgust by it she too begins to hate it. Georgina, guided by the

Aylmer, the protagonist of Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark,” takes on the challenge to remove the blemish from his wife’s cheek to satisfy his own spiritual strivings and to redeem what he sees as a failed career. The ways in which human perceptions of reality are preordained and tempered by the individuals who appears to be peripheral to the larger conflict between humanism and science; however, they are really at the very heart of it. We see how Aylmer’s sudden obsession with his wife’s blemish is essentially referring to his own sense of identity.

Aylmer’s abhorrence for Georgiana’s imperfection is a representation of evil in this story, he talks about Nature or God and how spiritual he is during the whole story; but his key focal point shifts to her imperfection. This is a representation of evil for the actuality that she carried one physical defect and that is all Aylmer could focus on. People like this are called pessimistic, since they only concentrate the awful or expect the worst. Georgiana was perfectly at ease for the way she was until her husband kept making comments about her until she became self conscious about

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

Too often in this world does man attempt to perfect nature. Tampering with this sort of element most commonly leads to a disaster to come extent. Because man is never satisfied, he is constantly vying for perfection, regardless of the outcome. Such is the case in Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story, 'The Birthmark.' Aylmer's persistent attempt to perfect nature is the cause of Georgiana's demise and the affirmation that when man tampers with such a powerful component terrible things may occur.

First, Hawthorne shows his worldview through his use of Aylmer’s obsession with the birthmark to show a sign of imperfection. When Aylmer is conversing with his wife Georgiana regarding the birthmark, he says “This slightest possible defect shocks me as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection.” (Hawthorne, 5). This is important because it shows that Aylmer is troubled by the birthmark and cannot leave it alone. In addition, it also shows that Aylmer ignores the main characteristics and features of Georgiana, such as her great personal qualities, in order to focus on the one imperfection, the birthmark. Adding on, the birthmark is stated as being: “It was the fatal flaw of humanity which Nature, in one shape or another, stamps ineffaceable on all her productions” (Nelson, 12). The birthmark is a part of nature and is inevitable because it cannot be altered or removed. Furthermore, the birthmark is a reminder that imperfection is part of

Such arrogance is the reason why the romance became in tragedy. Aylmer as devote scientist had been influenced by discoveries of the 19th century. For him the nature can be modified through science, nature is flawed and man can improve it. In a deeper sense, human life is imperfect because of the death, also the sin, imperfection is a symbol of the mortal life and one of the purposes of science is prolonging life; so perfection is seen as eternity, symbol of immortality. In the case of Aylmer he is married with a woman he considers almost perfect, according to him she is so perfect that is insupportable see in her the birth-mark in her check, because that just emphasizes just a small imperfection that damages the beauty of a perfect work of art, something that recalled the mortal condition of Aylmer’s wife as the life of any other human, a fact that made of ​​the birthmark a nightmare for the couple as describes the story:

Although “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne was written in the mid-1800s, its themes and ideas are still a part of society today. The 19th century was a time of change, just as this, the millennium, is a time of great change. Hawthorne’s ideas about science, beauty, and life still play a major part in our lives, despite many improvements. Even today, people try to play “God” and change things that nature has put in place. It’s human curiosity; how much can be changed, how many things can be perfected? The themes in this short story-- religion, gender, and science--were relevant in Hawthorne’s day, and still are many years later. The theme of religion is hidden in the desire to erase