Theme Of Allegory In The Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne

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.

    “Everything he has to say is related, finally, to ‘that inward sphere.’ For the heart is the meeting-place of all the forces – spiritual and physical, light and dark, that compete for dominance in man’s nature. . . .” (McPherson 68-69). McPherson’s “heart” is the key to understanding the role of women in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s tale, “The Birthmark.”

Hawthorne includes different literary devices such as tone, theme, symbolism, point of view, characterization, and setting to help the reader analyze the story. First of all, the story has an ominous tone. You can tell from the very start that something bad is most likely going to happen. For example here in the quote “In this manner, selecting it as the symbol of his wife's liability to sin,

In Hawthorne’s fiction, he shows sin is inevitable and inherent. Sin is essential for growth as well. Everyone should not hide their original sin and be afraid of it. Hawthorne’s use of symbolism in his story “The birthmark” to reveal that sin is unavoidable and inborn.

Character Analysis: "The Birthmark" Nathaniel Hawthorne did not do much explaining when it came to the characters involved in "The Birthmark". He did not portray the main characters: Aylmer, Georgiana, and Ambidab as human beings, but rather as symbols. While reading the story "The Birthmark", I have achieved some great insight of the author's articulate writing style; especially, his style of making characters have symbolic meaning. In this story, Hawthorne uses his characters to symbolize specific things. Although Hawthorne did not do much explaining when it came to the characters, he did not describe Aylmer, Georgiana, and Ambidab as human beings, but rather as symbols.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark,” the main character Aylmer is a mad scientist with an overwhelming need for perfection. To portray the nature of humans he used symbolism. The birthmark on his wife’s face represented her liability to “sin, sorrow, decay, and death” (1122). With the removal of the defect he will have made a super being. On a literal level he wanted to rid his wife’s face of a defect, but metaphorically he wanted to remove what makes her human.

Georgiana’s birth-mark is also crimson, Hawthorne foreshadows the danger in relation to the disappearance or elimination of the specific color. For Aylmer, the obsessive need to remove the specifically colored mark ends the life of his wife; For Hawthorne and Sophia, the loss of the exact color presents apprehension and the end of life as they know it.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Birth-Mark” shows the thoughtlessness of creating a perfect being. Hawthorne conveys this message through the tale of the scientist Aylmer and his wife Georgiana, who has hand-shaped birthmark on her cheek. Aylmer becomes engrossed with Georgiana birthmark that keeps his wife from becoming perfect and decides to remove the birthmark through his science. In “The Birth-Mark” Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes Georgiana weak self-conscious, the birthmark, and the concoction to emphasize the theme of striving for perfection. Aylmer critical perception of Georgiana birthmark hinders her self-confidence.

Hawthorne uses vivid imagery in “The Birthmark,” to create a depiction of a superficial relationship. In this southern gothic short story, there is a beautiful woman named Georgiana. She had porcelain skin that represented purity, and a red birthmark that her husband, Aylmer sees as sin. (pg 4) She wass perfect in everyway, but the birthmark was the only thing holding her back from complete perfection to her husband. He tried to convince her to remove it, but she didn’t want to. He then removed the birthmark while she was sleeping, but then did from this, (pg 12). Aylmer’s love was conditional, and as long as Georgina had the birthmark, he will be

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Birth-Mark,” his use of symbolisms can be seen throughout adding symbolic characterization to Aylmer, Georgiana and Aminadab. The birthmark is clearly a vital symbol in the story yet Hawthorne makes use of the opposing natures of Aylmer and Aminadab to ensure the reader perceives Aylmer’s contempt towards the human imperfections produced in nature. Aylmer regards himself as almost godlike, “ I have already given this matter the deepest thought – thought which might almost have enlightened me to create a being less perfect than yourself” (Hawthorne 293). Aylmer as a symbol then represents the divine while Aminadab provides the means to visualize the polar opposite, the earthy nature of man. This counterbalance

Nathaniel Hawthorne was known to incorporate symbols in his work. These symbols help to create the overall theme and message of each story. Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment, Young Goodman Brown, and The Birthmark share a common theme. All three pieces are stories that help to prove that humans naturally choose to seek eternal youth, wander away from their religion, or pursue physical perfection; however, there is always a price to pay as we seek our desires.

In the short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Birth-Mark,” the author makes use of literary symbolism in order to provide depth and complexity to his characters. There are several symbols used within this story but one that is central to the development of the main character is the birthmark. The birthmark, small and red, in the shape of a hand is located on the check of Georgiana the wife of Aylmer a noted scientist. This birthmark is the means in which Hawthorne is able to address the internal conflict residing within Aylmer concerning human mortality, the imperfections produced by nature and his deluded sense of omnificence. It is readily apparent of Aylmer’s disdain of Nature’s imperfections when he states, “It was the fatal flaw

In the short stories “A Rose for Emily,” by William Faulkner, and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark,” symbolism is crucial in adding depth to the stories. Both of these stories are unique in their own senses and tell tragic tales, with “A Rose for Emily,” sharing a tale of a woman who grows old while isolated from most of her community and starts to fall off her rocker, while in “The Birthmark” the reader learns lessons on fleeting beauty and humanity. The symbolism that is engraven deeply into both stories is vital in showing how while things may seem one way, they are actually representing a deeper concept and meaning.

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

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Birthmark" has a variety of different themes. One of the most prominent themes is Aylmer's need for perfection. His need for perfection can be seen when Aylmer says: "No, dearest Georgiana, you came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature, that this slightest possible defect, which we hesitate whether to term a defect or a beauty, shocks me"(Hawthorne). While other people saw Georgiana's Birthmark as more of a sign of life, when Georgiana says: "To tell you the truth, it has been so often called a charm, that I was simple enough to imagine it might be so" (Hawthorne). Even Aylmer's own lab assistant Aminadab is a perfect example of someone who didn't have a problem with Georgiana's birthmark when he said: "If she were my wife, I'd never part with that birth-mark" (Hawthorne). Aylmer had it all with Georgiana but lost it all because of something as miniscule as a birthmark. Although, Aylmer had a point to prove, and that was that he wanted to be superior Nathaniel Hawthorne's “the birthmark” is a short story that was originally published in 1843. It is a story with a simple plot but intense thematic complexity. There are only three characters but each of them displays a certain psychological depth and symbolic importance. Although “The Birthmark” was written relatively early in Hawthorne's career, and the story “he set out clearly enough the questions that were too hot him all the rest of his life”(Rosenberg). Hawthorns characteristic style, with