Aylmer's Symbolism In 'The Birthmark' By Nathaniel Hawthorne

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A birthmark is a irregularity on one’s skin, they come in all shapes, sizes and many colors. Birthmarks are harmless and can even be considered endearing. To Aylmer, the main character in the short story “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a birthmark is anything but harmless. Aylmer is a man of science, but one day meets the beautiful Georgianna and they marry. Soon after their marriage Aylmer discovers his disdain for a small, hand shaped, birthmark on Georgiana's cheek. To him this is an unwelcome reminder of human imperfection, he begins to obsess with how to remove the mark. The final straw comes after Georgianna hears him talking in his sleep about removing the birthmark from her heart. She decides that despite the dangers she would