Hawthorne's The Birth-Mark

Impending Tragedy Disguised by Goals of Perfection:

Analysis of Hawthorne’s “The Birth-Mark”

An English proverb says, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birth-Mark” portrays the human struggle of valuation as Aylmer, a scientist driven in his pursuit of perfection, relentlessly goes about making his wife acceptable. He sets a course to rid his wife, Georgiana, of a blemish on her cheek – the birth-mark. While the mark is despicable to Aylmer, many people find it to be endearing. Aylmer uses his science laboratory and elixirs to forcibly remove the birth-mark from his wife’s face. While feeling quite accomplished and superior for having reached his goal of attaining perfection, the irony is that it comes

Making Georgiana perfect ultimately results in her death. One might argue human nature is to be in continual improvement, whether towards self-confidence, for bragging rights, or to impress/become notable. The search for success is typically an admirable trait. However, when this trait is taken to extremes it can be detrimental to oneself and others involved. Through symbolism and character analysis “The Birth-Mark” suggests that tragedies occur if the strive for perfection hinders morality.

Aylmer’s overwhelming need for perfection may be primarily driven by his own lack of confidence and personal insecurities. Aylmer has experienced success and defeat within the scientific realm, and wants so desperately to succeed in this particular endeavor of removing her birth-mark. Early on, Hawthorne illustrates how Aylmer is torn between his deep love of science, and his deep love for Georgiana. The struggle of choice he encounters illustrates the truer object of his affection even as he intertwines these endeavors (Hawthorne 212). Some would argue that Aylmer seems to be trying to express his complete love for both. He is showing his care for his wife by making her (in his definition) perfect, all the while attempting to accomplish a scientific feat.

People outside of the marriage find Georgiana’s mark to be a defining characteristic, perhaps even an essential part of her. Aminadab, Aylmer’s assistant, makes the remark “If she were my wife, I’d never part with that birth-mark” (216). In a sense, the symbolism through the shape of a hand humanizes and personifies her. It is the foreshadowing of the grip that the mark may or may not have had on her life, and her marriage. Considering this humanizing factor, without the mark, would she truly be herself? The dynamics of Aylmer’s and Georgian’s marriage become intertwined when it is shown evident that in Aylmer’s opinion, the mark is “like a bas relief of ruby on the whitest marble” (214). His refers to it as a stain which suggests he views it as devaluing, or as marring her figure. He perceives it as a defect, and thus not of her “nearly perfect” self (212). Would Aylmer ever truly love her for who she was physically? These components of Aylmer’s character suggest that because Georgiana could not attain perfection with the mark, and he was willing to put her at risk by removing