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The scarlet letter by hawthorne essay
The scarlet letter by hawthorne essay
Nathaniel hawthorne critical analysis the scarlet letter
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All individuals are not born perfect. Every individual has their flaws that has a positive or negative impact to those around them and the society. All individuals have flaws that can or cannot hide from the rest of the world. Scholars of psychology argue that obsessions cause individuals to achieve perfection and can have a positive or negative aspect to an individuals’ life. Perfection is the conditions, state, or quality of being free as possible from all flaws or defects.
Character Foils In The Scarlet Letter Those who contrast each other make for engrossing storytelling. Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates this truth often in his romantic narrative, “The Scarlet Letter”.
Intro: Nathaniel Hawthorne’s fictional short story “The Birthmark” and The Twilight Zone’s darkly romantic episode “Eye of the Beholder” both use gothic elements and delve into the realm of science to explore concepts of beauty and perfection. Through their contrasting characterizations of the scientist and employments of irony and allusions, each work comes to its own conclusions about how to define and treat beauty. Body #1: The Birthmark From the very first paragraph, Hawthorne’s story revolves around Aylmer, a scientist who supposedly gives up his career to marry the beautiful woman of his dreams, Georgiana.
Alymer cares about Georgiana at the beginning of the story, but as the reader continues they can start to see resentment of Georgiana’s birthmark and makes Aylmer distant and care less for Georgiana as his wife. From a normal marriage to a scientist based relationship becomes more apparent when Aylmer notices Georgiana’s birthmark every day. Georgiana is shocked by how Aylmer is reacting to her birthmark. His obsession with getting rid of the birthmark is so deep, that Aylmer completely ignores the possible outcomes and the jeopardy of his wife’s life. At this point the reader can see that his obsession with science has become so deep that he cares less about what even his wife, has to say.
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
The reason for Georgiana’s view was explained when the narrator began describing the birthmark’s resemblance to a hand and her lovers’ perception of it “Georgiana’s lovers were wont to say that some fairy at her birth-hour had laid her tiny hand upon the infant’s cheek, and left this impress there in token of the magic endowments that were to give her such sway over all hearts” (Hawthorne 213). The attitude of reverence that Georgiana’s lovers took toward her birthmark influenced her into believing that it was a charm. It turns out that her lovers weren’t that far from the truth as revealed at the end of the story. Aylmer finally achieved his goal of removing his wife’s
The birthmark itself symbolizes morality. Aylmer, this brilliant scientist and husband to Georgiana, sees it has as fatal flaw. It also represents this imperfection of human nature. Nothing is perfect in nature, but science can help improve to make it seem flawless.
Mortality is written all over Georgiana’s birthmark, if taken away it would resemble nothing else than death itself. According to Hawthorne, “Aylmer now remembered his dream. He had fancied himself, with his servant Aminidab, attempting an operation for the removal of the birth-mark. But the deeper went the knife, the deeper sand the Hand, until at length its tiny grasp appeared to have caught hold of Georgiana’s heart; whence,
He wants her to be perfect, but he soon finds out that being perfect is also not being human, which is what happens to Georgiana at the end. Aylmer, Georgiana’s husband, was a man of science. In the beginning of The Birthmark, the narrator tells us: He had devoted himself, however, too unreservedly to scientific studies ever to be weaned from them by any second passion.
Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne Quote - “If thou feelest it to be for thy soul’s peace, and that thy earthly punishment will thereby be made more effectual to salvation, I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow sinner and fellow sufferer!” (3.26) With this quote Dimsdale is talking with hester about the crime that she has committed and asking if someone else is being dragged into this. As with with him saying “and fellow suffer” is like him asking if there is a victimless person that got dragged into her crime that shouldn’t be there.
Accentuating Georgiana’s awareness of her deteriorating health, is a vital moment in the story. Her declaration of her death finally makes Aylmer realize that this role of “god” and trying to attain perfection wasn’t worth the final result as it had the tragic consequence of killing the love of his life. In conclusion, “The Birth-Mark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne serves as a thought-provoking critique of society’s obsession with perfection, truly showing the dangers of striving for an unattainable
In the story “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, he uses several techniques to help build his story. Hawthorne tells a story of a man of science whose name was Aylmer. He married a beautiful women named Georgiana, although she was quite beautiful she had a birthmark on her face which, in Aylmer’s eyes was an imperfection. Aylmer tries to perfect Georgiana, but in the end Aylmer’s attempts to change Georgiana causes him to lose her. Aylmer does not accept the idea of imperfections in people.
The author does this to give us the impression that the birthmark is no ordinary birthmark, but that it has some sort of mystical tie to Georgiana. Another example is how the story talks of how Georgiana was like a celestial being after Aylmer had relieved her of her only flaw but he regretted removing it for it also ridded
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.
Aylmer’s potion doomed him by take away her breath. Aspiration for perfect wife not only kills Georgiana, it also spoils her husband because his longing to fabricate the ideal woman made him to overlook her true love and the beauty. Eventually, petty imperfection is all he could see when he romance with his wife. Georgian’s admirers are wise enough to understand that perfection is not a goal worth pursuing. Although these characters are invisible throughout the story they appreciate Georgina more than her husband does.
