`` The Birthmark `` By Nathanial 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” we first learn about the main character named Aylmer. He is fascinated with science. “He has devoted himself, however, too unreservedly to scientific studies ever to be weaned from them by any second passion” (Hawthorne 952) He eventually finds love with his wife Georgianna, but there is something about her he just will not seem to take much longer. Georgianna has a red birthmark on her cheek which is the shape of a small hand. While she thinks it is beautiful, the most important person in her life doesn’t feel the same way. In fact, Aylmer is truly disgusted and in shock by her mark, claiming it is a “visible mark of earthly imperfection” (Hawthorne 953). Finally telling his wife how he feels, Georgianna is in disbelief. She is upset, hurt, and confused, even questioning their marriage as she tells him “You cannot love what shocks you!” (Hawthorne 953). The last thing she would have thought is that the person she planned to spend the rest of her life with doesn’t see her beauty mark the way she does.

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.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne 's “The Birthmark”, we find the tragic story of a woman named Georgiana who sacrificed her life for the sake of appeasing her husband, Aylmer. What did Georgiana do that it was more favorable for her to die than to continuing to displease her husband? Georgiana, who was otherwise hailed as incomparably beautiful, had a birthmark on her face. Aylmer desired this to remove this birthmark, which he considered the one thing keeping her from being “perfect”, from her face. In an attempt to remedy his wife’s “imperfection”, Aylmer makes an elixir for her to drink. While this elixir successfully removes the birthmark, the same elixir also causes Georgiana to die soon after. This story brings to light several examples of how society belittles women and puts their desires below the desires of men.

In “The Birth-Mark,” Aylmer, a natural philosopher, became obsessed with a hand shaped birthmark on his wife’s face. Being completely consumed by the notion of imperfection that graced the face of his wife, Georgiana, he attempted to remove the mark which resulted in her death. Aylmer views Georgiana’s birthmark as something more than a

Written by Nathaniel Hawthorne during the American Renaissance, the short story “The Birth-Mark” details the events of a brilliant scientist and natural philosopher named Aylmer who obsesses about his wife Georgiana’s birthmark in the shape of a tiny hand on her left cheek. The symbol of the birthmark causes the plot to advance in the story, as Aylmer is compelled by this red mark to act upon his emotions. Aylmer views his wife’s birthmark as an imperfection in her virtually flawless beauty and as a result, attempts to it via a potion that he strongly believes cannot fail. His interpretation of the birthmark creates conflict in the story, which is shaped by the symbolic meaning that he attributes it to. Aylmer’s failure to accept his wife’s appearance for who she is leads to misunderstandings, pain, and ultimately, death.

In Aylmer’s case, his view of perfection is science, he believes any imperfection from nature can be perfected by science. As he is present during a time era of science being newly discovered, the beginning of science verses nature becomes apparent to Aylmer. The results of Aylmer’s love and passion for science leads to his wife being victimized of his obsession. In the story, before Aylmer tries to remove his wife's birthmark, he has a dream that he tries to cut the birthmark off of Georgiana's face; as a result, the hand shaped birthmark grabs onto her heart the more he cuts thus killing her at the end of its removal. This dream not only depicted Georgiana's death, but it also viewed her birthmark as a part of her and as it cease's to exist so will she.

Though with each passing day it became more clear to him the crimson hand birthmark upon her cheek. He didn’t voice his opinion at first; he saw how the men of the town looked at the mark as something that just made her more beautiful. Though soon enough, this was no longer the case for Aylmer as he saw the birthmark as a nuisance that needed to be removed at once (Hawthorne 1). The voicing of his plan to remove the blemish slowly transformed the relationship between Aylmer and Georgiana. Georgiana’s self-image became tainted by a mark that had never before been a problem: “Not even Aylmer now hated it as much as she” (Hawthorne 6).

In “The Birthmark”, the relationships and behaviors of the characters play a significant role in the story by revealing more than the story itself does . Through the character’ different actions, characteristics, and behaviors, Nathaniel Hawthorne gives a deeper insight into his life, such as revealing his worldview to his readers, and also gives insight into a more relevant story. Hawthorne’s transcendentalist worldview is conveyed through Aylmer’s and Georgiana’s obsessions, Aylmer’s manipulation of nature, and the birthmark.

This imperfection bears the similarity of a tiny “crimson hand” and is visible on Georgiana’s left cheek. Aylmer concludes Georgiana’s birthmark “as the symbol of his wife’s liability to sin, sorrow, decay, and death” (Hawthorne 2). Aylmer destroys Georgiana’s self-esteem by convincing her with his uncontrolled shakes and nightmares that the birthmark upon her face is not the charm that she believed it to be. He views his wife as imperfect and becomes obsessed with this minor imperfection. His obsession is self-created and becomes physically and emotionally damaging for his wife’s well-being. Aylmer is willing to risk Georgiana’s life in order to gain scientific knowledge. This obsession shows how the craving for scientific knowledge can be a dangerous and deadly course. Hawthorne includes a third character, Aminadab who “with his vast strength, his shaggy hair, his smoky aspect, and the indescribable earthiness

In Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark,” Hawthorne uses several conflicts within the short story to refer to realistic issues in life. One example is Aylmer’s obsession of perfection. Aylmer intolerably believes that his wife’s birthmark degrades her whole being as something stained and imperfect. Despite Georgiana’s beautiful appearance, the birthmark “quite destroyed the effect of Georgiana’s beauty, and rendered her countenance even hideous” to Aylmer (Hawthorne 649). Aylmer becomes so obsessed with desiring to perfect his wife’s appearance

Martin Fitzpatrick states that Georgiana is a woman of perfect beauty, but her only flaw is the birthmark on her left cheek, shaped like a tiny pink hand “To a Practised Touch”: Miles Coverdale and Hawthorne’s Irony,”(American Transcendental Quarterly 14.1 [2000]: 27-46). However, Her husband Aylmer prizes her in marriage, he becomes, after their marriage, obsessed with the idea of fixing that blemish and providing her absolutely perfect. Aylmer prepares a portion for Georgiana in order to remove the birthmark and release her from the hand that clenched tighter on her cheek. Fitzpatrick argues, “If we alter the question slightly, what is the story about? We might answer: Aylmer's hatred of women generally or Georgiana specifically, the futility

In the short story “The Birthmark”, our main character, named Aylmer, is a natural philosopher and scientist. Throughout the short story, Aylmer is in a constant internal conflict with the idea of perfection, which also highlights the flaws of nature. These conflicts are presented when we learn that his wife, Georgiana, who is described as insanely beautiful, has a small, red, hand-like birthmark on her cheek. Many people, a majority of males, admire Georgiana and they even say her birthmark is an appeal, but Aylmer obsesses about it.

Society shapes people in many instances, perhaps more than we realize. From personal development, to others perception of our bodies. The desire to have the perfect body image is rapidly increasing today. In “The Birth-Mark” a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne he displays the life of a scientist that despises a birthmark on the face of his wife. Aylmer would take any precautions to make his wife perfect in his eyes.

The birthmark in Nathaniel’s story presents events that take place after marriage. Couples often learn about each other’s weaknesses after some years of living together. Some of the spotted weaknesses affect the love individuals had for each other just like Aylmer was disturbed by the birthmark on Georgiana’s cheek. The reason why Georgina lost her life is by trying to defy nature. According to Hawthorne, Aylmer is a man who is determined to establish how nature works all his life but sacrifices all that for love when he meets a beautiful woman, Georgiana who has a birthmark on her cheek. According