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Obsession In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark

652 Words3 Pages

Today's society tends to revolve around personal image and culture. It thrives on the newest form of music, fashion, trends, and technology. Society has a way of forgetting the past or irrelevant when they are concerned with maintaining their image or relevance to others. This causes people to become obsessed with their body image. They are affected emotionally and physically trying to stay relevant with today's trends. The impact that today's society has on maintaining body image and relevance is a stain of fault that the world possesses because it makes them desperate, obsessed, and depressed. Obsession within today's world is common. It has bad effects on people and good effects. The results of being obsessed relies on the person. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's story, "The Birthmark" it sums up how obsession and desperation to alter natural beauty and its flaws can lead towards regrettable consequences. The story centers around a scientist and his wife, Georgiana, who has a handprint birthmark on her cheek. Aylmer, the husband and scientist loves his wife but is disgusted by her birthmark. He believes it tarnishes her beauty and prevents him from loving her completely. He becomes obsessed with getting rid of the birthmark. He gambles with his wife's life …show more content…

Depression is a black cloud on a sunny day for a person who walks outside in the world. They are judged upon the images and expectations of today's society images. They become unhappy, distraught, and withdrawn from society itself. Depression is one of the main mental disorders that affects today's society. The more people are affected the more they are judged upon by their actions. It is expected for a person to be happy in today's society. Happiness is essential to showing strength. The people who are affected by depression are perceived as weak beings who cannot control their emotions. The unfairness society has declared on people is

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Obsession In Nathanial Hawthorne's The Birth-Mark

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These scholars’ arguments contribute to the story, “The Birth-Mark”, Nathanial Hawthorne expresses the common personal issue that individuals possess. The Birth-Mark was about a man named Aylmer and his obsession of science and the birth mark on his wife’s face. The birth

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Summary Of The Hawthorne's Birthmark

196 Words | 1 Pages

Aylmer through the story reminds Georgiana how flawed she is with this birthmark that she herself believes she is no longer beautiful, and in so allows her husband to preform the experiments

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Georgiana's Unhealthy Relationship In The Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne

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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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Analysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne's Short Story 'The Birth-Mark'

1470 Words | 6 Pages

Francisco Villegas Dr. Richard Coronado English 2326 September 29, 2014 Perfection Is Not A Goal Worth Pursuing In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “The Birth-Mark,” Aylmer apparently after getting married with Georgiana noticed the birthmark Georgiana had in her left cheek. Aylmer is very troubled how the birthmark resembles in Georgiana’s face. He proclaimed that it is a natural flaw that has affected her vivid human perfection. Since Aylmer is a scientist he propose to Georgiana to get rid of her birthmark once and for all. At first she angrily questions Aylmer’s proposition, but her love for him changes her thoughts and she accepts to permanently get rid of the birthmark.

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The Consequences Of Perfection In The Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne

574 Words | 3 Pages

Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” shows an obsession with perfection and the damage it can have on something as fragile as human life. Aylmer’s beautiful wife is flawed with a single mark on her cheek but is otherwise perfect to him and many other people however, he obsesses over Georgiana’s “crimson hand” (342) to the point that he no longer sees her beauty. An imperfection such as a birthmark upon Georgiana’s cheek “’might be called a charm’” (340) by many people.

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Imperfection In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark

850 Words | 4 Pages

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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Response Paper on Nathaniel Hawthorne ¨The Birthmark¨ Much happened in the short story of Nathaniel Hawthorne ¨The Birthmark¨. In the beginning of the story I wondered why the story was about a simple birthmark on someone. Having a wife with a birthmark is a special gift of god given to her. As discussed in class Aylmer was disgusted by Georgiana's birthmark instead of loving every natural flaw she was born with. As the narrator introduces Aylmer as a brilliant scientist and natural philosopher who married beautiful Georgiana but wasn't such a pleasant person toward his wife Georgiana.

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The Unattainable Ideal In The Birth-Mark By Nathaniel Hawthorne

921 Words | 4 Pages

Imagine a world where imperfections are seen as blemishes to be eradicated, where the desire for flawlessness consumes both individuals and the society at large. The short story “The Birth-Mark,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, weaves a tale that not only captivates our imagination but also forces us to confront the consequences of our relentless pursuit of an unattainable ideal. It revolves around a scientist named Aylmer and his wife Georgiana. Georgiana has a small birthmark on her cheek, and Aylmer becomes obsessed with removing it, seeing it as a flaw rather than a beautiful part of his wife. As the story goes on, it reveals various issues prominent in society and human nature in general as it serves as a powerful critique of society’s obsession

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The Birthmark Literary Analysis Essay

717 Words | 3 Pages

When Aylmer demanded assistance from his servant, Aminadab, with Georgiana who was in a “lifeless form,” he muttered to himself: “If she were my wife, I’d never part with the birthmark” (Hawthorne 343). The ironic aspect of this part of the story is the servant, the scientist's personal laboratory rat, knew that the removal of such a tiny “defect” would end in a great loss. The “man of science,” the “philosopher,” the faith in man’s “ultimate control over nature,” all meant nothing. He could not see past his wife’s imperfection and look at what was truly important, her inner beauty. Destruction of beauty in this story, “The Birthmark,” is developed through the use of symbolism, conflict, and irony.

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What Caused Ayler To Fear In The Birthmark

331 Words | 2 Pages

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Birthmark” Aylmer is a successful scientist who decides to step away from his work to get married. He marries a woman named Georgiana. She is described as a beautiful woman with a birthmark on her cheek. After marrying Georgiana, Aylmer becomes fixated on the birthmark and soon becomes frightened of it.

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Obsession In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark

941 Words | 4 Pages

In The Birthmark, Hawthorne depicts the obsession for perfection, the tole it takes on one and the consequences it has. The quest for perfection is unrealistic and unobtainable as we are only mere humans incapable of reconstructing our DNA. In The Birthmark, Hawthorne tells the story of a woman named Georgiana and her scientist husband Aylmer, who are both fixated on a birthmark similar to the look of a tiny human hand. Aylmer is disgusted by Georgiana’s birthmark, wanting to please her husband Georgiana is willing to do anything for him to look at her in a normal manner “Danger is nothing to me;for life which this hateful mark

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Perfection In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark

1272 Words | 6 Pages

Perfection in a world of imperfection. “The Birthmark” is a story of confusing sorrow about a man and a woman whose differences numerous problems for the two. Aylmer a renowned scientist of his time has taken it upon himself to marry a woman of great perfection and beauty. As Aylmer admires his wife, he notices a peculiar “birthmark” (306) upon his wife’s cheek in the shape of a “tiny hand” (305). Thus making the most beautiful woman flawed and imperfect.

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552 Words | 3 Pages

Humanity’s tendency in putting science over nature can often result in disastrous consequences for those that change nature to achieve his/her idea of perfection. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” the characters,the setting, and symbolism is used to portray nature, perfection, and artificiality. Character such as Aylmer and Georgiana are symbols of artificiality in nature. Georgiana is a symbol of nature’s beauty well Aylmer symbolizes how science attempts to change nature in the pursuit of perfection. Aylmer, a scientist, has the ability to make beauty out of absolutely nothing.

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The Price of Perfection Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote the short story “The Birthmark” in 1843 and it is set at a time when science was an emerging field. Science at that time was unexplainable and mysterious to the common person which lead to it being referred to as magic. One of the themes that is common in Hawthorne's work is the sinful nature and impurity that is at the heart of each person. Hawthorne shows the dilemma of the flawed nature of a person and the ultimate price of perfection that will be paid.

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177 Words | 1 Pages

The lives of the protagonist Aylmer and his near perfect wife Georgiana are illustrated by the author. As the reader becomes aware of Aylmer’s dissatisfaction of his wife's one blemish, a birthmark on her cheek, his constant desire

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