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Dangers Of The Human Body In The Birth-Mark By Nathaniel Hawthorne

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If I were to ask random people what they would physically change about themselves, I’m sure many would have at least one or two things to mention. In today’s world aesthetic changes have become common and accessible for those willing to pay to change how they look. The technological advancements of science have made it possible for people to change many of their physical traits. However, there are still limits on how the human body can be changed and questions about how much it should be changed. In “The Birth-Mark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, he shows the dangers of trying to outdo the design that nature has set in place. In this short story, Hawthorne presents the reader with the idea that some things are not meant to be in nature and trying …show more content…

One way that Hawthorne conveys the dangers of trying to modify nature is through the dream that Aylmer has. Aylmer is a scientific man and represents the ideals of science and discovery. His trust in science and his ability to remove Georgiana’s birthmark cause him to ignore the warning that his dream provides him. In the dream Aylmer is trying to cut out the mark, but he must keep cutting deeper and deeper to find that it is wrapped around Georgiana’s heart (647). This connection shows that the birthmark is more than a birthmark, it is an anchor that is connected to the life of Georgiana. The image of it wrapping itself around her heart gives the impression that if it is removed then she will die. Georgiana even acknowledges this thought when she tells Aylmer, “Or, it may be, the stain goes as deep as life itself.” (647). These thoughts all provide …show more content…

Hawthorne uses Georgiana and her birthmark as a representation of nature’s best. One reaction that Hawthorne gives is seen when Aylmer brings Georgiana to his laboratory. A lab is a place of experimentation and discovery and would represent the achievements and breakthroughs that science has made. Upon crossing the threshold of the lab Georgiana is described as “cold and tremulous” (649). These symptoms would give the reader the impression that Georgiana is physically sick. Her removal from a natural environment into an unnatural one causes distress. Another reaction given is the symptom she forgets to tell Aylmer about. “It was a sensation in the fatal birth-mark, not painful, but which induced a restlessness throughout her system.” (653). The restlessness that the mark gives Georgiana is comparable to the sixth sense that animals use to sense danger. It is the nature within her that is warning of the coming danger from being in an unnatural environment and exposing herself to unnatural elements. Another reaction that I found interesting was her reaction to Aylmer’s journal of experiments (652). Even though Aylmer had many experiments, the ones that captivated Georgiana most were the unintentional successes (652). These were the experiments that didn’t go perfectly, the ones that were marked by some imperfection in the

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Which leads him to the point of using science to remove the birth mark. Aylmer’s obsession of removing the birth mark led to the death of his wife, Georgina. Hawthorne uses Aylmer to present a common issue that individuals have. Furthermore, each scholar help better understand the theme of obsession and achieving a goal that leads individuals to a path of negativity because of individuals’ foolishness to achieve perfection, science vs naturality, and mental isolation.

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He focuses on how wonderful and triumphant he will be once he has created the first perfect human being that he seemingly forgets that there is a great deal of danger and even the risk of death in removing Georgiana’s birthmark. Aylmer voices this prideful desire in the story, saying “‘I feel myself fully competent to render this dear cheek as faultless as its fellow; and then, most beloved, what will be my triumph when I shall have corrected what Nature left imperfect in her fairest work! Even Pygmalion, when his sculptured woman assumed life, felt not greater ecstasy than mine will be’” (Hawthorne 3). In this quote we see that he has no doubt about performing the surgery, and hints that he even looks forward to performing it so that his wife may become perfect.

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Hawthorne uses imagery sense of smell to get readers to imagine the scene, “When Georgiana recovered consciousness she found herself breathing an atmosphere of penetrating fragrance, the gentle potency of which had recalled her from her deathlike faintness” (Hawthorne). “The Birthmark” also creates irony with “Aminadab, the less inferior man to Aylmer is the one who speaks sensible to Aylmer by disclaiming that if Georgiana was his wife, he would not try to remove the birthmark” (“The Birthmark”). The figurative language helps enhance the story. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s meaning for the story was a man’s strive to perfection only caused the death of his wife. Aylmer was too focused on what perfect could be, and Georgiana blindly agrees with him and decides to remove the birthmark, despite never having a problem with it.

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In the short story “The Birthmark”, Nathaniel Hawthorne writes about a scientist, his wife, and the unhealthy relationship they share. The story follows Aylmer, a scientist, who is determined to remove his wife Georgiana’s birthmark. One aspect of their unhealthy relationship is Georgiana’s sole dependance on Aylmer. Furthermore, Aylmer does not view Georgiana as his equal. Not only this, but Aylmer frequently belittles her, continuously pointing out her flaws, which drives her to do something dangerous.

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Georgiana took note of Aylmer’s displeasure of the birthmark from the dream and through his stealthy stare, causing Georgina displeasure (Nathaniel Hawthorne 114). Aylmer’s further loathing of the birthmark, causes Georgiana to give up for the sake of his happiness. She tells, Aylmer after bringing up the conversation of the birthmark, “Either remove this dreadful hand, or take my wretched life!” (Nathaniel Hawthorne 114). Aylmer could have avoided tragedy, however he failed to listen to his assistant Aminadab, who stated he would “never part with that birthmark” (Nathaniel Hawthorne 114).

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Although the theme of The Birthmark, has been interpreted in different ways, I believe the theme of the story is human imperfection and the strive for perfection, which is demonstrated by the birthmark on Georgiana’s face, her husband Aylmer, and their marriage. The birthmark on Georgiana’s face symbolizes human mortality and imperfection as believed among many critics. Most criticism has accepted the rather forthright and explicit allegorical interpretation of Hawthorne's "The Birthmark" that regards the mark on Georgiana Aylmer's cheek as the external sign of her human, imperfect condition and understands Aylmer's attempt to remove it as the expression of either scientific, rational, reformist presumption, or of too aspiring an idealism.

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The first and most important use of symbolism we receive is that of the birthmark. We learn that, “in the centre of Georgians's left cheek, there was a singular mark, deeply interwoven, as it were, with the texture and substance of her face” (205). Upon further reading Hawthorne tells us that, “Its shape bore not a little similarity to the human hand” (205). Georgiana had a birthmark right in the middle of her left cheek that resembled a tiny hand in which Aylmer thought was very imperfect. The birthmark symbolizes mortality or an imperfection of

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From the late 18th century to the mid-19th century America began to experience Romanticism; a period where emotions, spiritual understanding, and a close relationship with nature were emphasized. Romanticism is clearly the style used in Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” not to mention it is chalked full of symbolism in light of one man’s obsession with nature, science, perfection, and Georgiana. The birthmark resembling a “tiny crimson hand” imprinted on Georgiana’s cheek is clearly a form of symbolism used to represent many concepts in this great literary piece. Many may interpret “the hand” to symbolize such things as mortality, imperfection, humanity, the hand of nature, the hand of God, or even a liability of sin.

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Georgiana’s birthmark represents her grasp on humanity as shown in its shape as a hand. The hand symbolizes humanity’s role in nature and the continuous struggle between nature and science. Georgiana is someone who Aylmer sees as created “nearly perfect from the hand of Nature” (Hawthorne 1). Her birthmark is an imprint left by nature and is representative of humanity’s ties to it. Altering nature isn’t something that humans should be able to do because it is more powerful than any creation made by man.

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In “The Birthmark”, Georgiana tells Aylmer of how she would drink poison if he were ever to instruct her to because she trusts his judgement (Hawthorne 16). Georgiana is rejecting all forms of reasoning in this statement for she knows well of what would happen to her if she were to drink poison, but because she trusts in his “deep science” she would drink it regardless (Hawthorne 8). Also, Eckstein states, “...science ‘has become religion not only for Aylmer but also for Georgina’”(511). The couple has become so reliant on the statistics of science that it has gotten to the point where it is having a negative effect on both of them. Georgina’s negative affect was that her faith in her husband’s science resulted in her ultimate death; according to Eckstein, Aylmer’s obsession made him “ unfit for human companionship”

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998 Words | 4 Pages

Nathaniel Hawthorne 's short story, "The Birthmark" shows the silliness of a crazed scientist named, Aylmer aspiring to create a perfect human being, which is Georgiana, and by doing so, he opens the prospect of rivaling nature with his own scientific skillfulness. He uses symbolism of the birthmark to show how science 's attempt to ultimate failure often leads to control of nature, foolish obsession, and mortality. Georgiana is Aylmer 's wife. She is beautiful, intelligent, and a caring person. Her only imperfection is a tiny-red birthmark resembling the shape of a hand.

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266 Words | 2 Pages

“His brightest diamonds were the merest pebbles, and felt to be so by himself, in comparison with the inestimable gems which lay hidden beyond his reach.” Throughout, Nathaniel Hawthorne makes of the birthmark upon Georgianna’s face save but two things—a luminous treasure, and a dreadful stain. As a proponent of science, Georgianna’s husband Aylmer is obsessed with experimentation, ultimately finding it difficult to be satisfied with what he has accomplished as he pushes for success and perfection. As an outwardly negligible sentence inserted by Hawthorne, it nonetheless alludes to numerous aspects of the story.

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Equally Aylmer and Dr. Rappiccini, both characters in Hawthorne’s works causes destruction of human life with selfish aims to perfect the woman of their choice. In the case of Aylmer’s love interest in science, just as with the case of Beatrice’s father, blinds him to the true beauty and humanity of the woman before him. Aylmer views Georgiana’s birthmark as a symbol of imperfection and tries to remove it. At the end of the story, Georgiana say, "My poor Aylmer," she repeated, with a more than human tenderness, "you have aimed loftily; you have done nobly. Do not repent that with so high and pure a feeling, you have rejected the best the earth could offer.

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1491 Words | 6 Pages

To make her perfect, he had to remove the only thing that made her human, but what kept her human was the only thing keeping her mortal-self alive. On the top of page 768, Georgiana describes the birthmark as “a stain that goes as deep as life itself” and as “a little Hand which was laid upon her before she came into the world”. This is the final piece of evidence that shows what Hawthorne intended the birthmark to represent. It is the mark that every human being has and it is not something that one can obtain, but it is instead the inherent trait of

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