Mosses from an Old Manse

and dreams that he and his laboratory assistant, Aminadab, perform surgery to remove the birthmark from her face, so that she can again be viewed by him as the “ideal” beauty she once was. Aylmer’s vast library of scientific tomes includes several works by famous alchemists, and he engages in various alchemical experiments, ultimately concocting a liquid that successfully removes yellow spots from the leaves of a geranium. When Georgiana drinks the liquid, she falls into a deep sleep and Aylmer sits

story both in its themes and in its emphasis on the moral-psychological aspect of the main characters. There is probably unanimity among literary critics that Hawthorne is a “psychological” writer. Consider some of their statements chosen at random from various critiques of Hawthorne’s literary works: Stanley T. Williams in “Hawthorne’s Puritan Mind” says: What he wrote of New England was . . . .the subconscious mind of New England. It was. . . . unforgettable case histories of men and women

The Concept of Woman in “Roger Malvin’s Burial”                John Erskine in Leading American Novelists says that “Roger Malvin’s Burial” is “the most powerful story, morally, of the Mosses from an Old Manse” (236). And what makes it so powerful? A very vital woman character by the name of Dorcas is key to the narrative-producing decision by Reuben to leave Roger to die alone. Dorcas is also key to the guilt preserved within the main character, Reuben, which leads to his growing into an

Freedom is an entity that people desire to have in life. Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Birth-Mark and Wilfred Owens in Disabled both have similar plots about two peoples concern for nature. Nathaniel Hawthorne The Birth-Mark focuses on the importance of nature. In the story “The Birth-Mark,” nature is said to be the most compelling thing man has made. The main character Aylmer, a scientist, is obsessed with perfection and nature. Aylmer is trying to live a life of fantasy because of his desire for perfection

They knew that the evils of the real world hid in the forest, as did Goodman. But he still went in! He let this man with the serpent staff keep him from turning around, and getting out of the woods. On page 274 the evil man says, “We are but a little way in the forest, yet.” Goodman responds, “Too far, too far,” but didn’t realize he was still walking farther into the woods! He says he has walked too

letting the wind play with the pink ribbons in her cap" (316). This quotation is a great example of how Hawthorne correlates Faith’s beauty and innocence with the pink ribbons. The pink ribbons are mentioned later on in the story as they fall from the sky: “But something fluttered lightly down through the air, and caught on the branch of a tree. The young man seized it, and beheld a pink ribbon” (323). This symbolizes Brown's loss of his Faith, referring to both his wife and his faith in mankind

binding his daughter to the poisonous garden Rappaccini had used his power as a scientist to take away her freedom. Beatrice has no power, she is helpless. "There was an awful doom...the effect of my father's fatal love of science, which estranged me from all society of my kind".  Unfortunately she is also the victim of Baglioni's quest for power and revenge against her father. Baglioni's power, convincing Giovanni that Beatrice could be saved, conquers even Rappaccini's control. In their obsessive

characters become victims of their pride and consequently suffer.  Goodman Brown, from "Young Goodman Brown" and Hooper, from "The Minister's Black Veil" are two characters that suffer from a pride of intellect.  Their pride causes them similar problems and they end up living similar lives, although they came from different backgrounds.        Hooper and Goodman Brown both become isolated from society.  Hooper had a revelation, and he feels that he truly understands human

Young Goodman Brown:  The Value of Dreams Young Goodman Brown   The Birthmark   Nathaniel Hawthorne's stories "Young Goodman Brown" and "The Birthmark" both make use of dreams to affect the story and reveal the central characters. With each story, the dreams presented are extremely beneficial to the development of the story as they give the reader a new view of the plot itself, or the characters within. At the same time, however, it becomes difficult to determine how

in King Philip's War. They were my good friends, both; and many a pleasant walk have we had along this path, and returned merrily after midnight.   Notice the allusion to the historical episode from Hawthorne’s life mentioned by Leavis and Swisher above. In addition to the Quaker incident from the author’s past, there is also the tragedy of the witch-hanging judge in his past, also mentioned by Leavis and Swisher above. Wagenknecht states in Nathaniel Hawthorne that, of the three Salem women