Symbolism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Birthmark'

Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the most important American writers of the romantic era. As part of this influential movement, he contrasted human intellect and nature's forces. In Nathaniel’s short story, “The Birthmark”, the author uses a birthmark and scientific power to symbolize man’s ambition of changing nature’s perfection. He implies that the birthmark on Georgiana's cheek represents Human’s natural flaw while Aylmer’s scientific knowledge represents the envy of pursuing perfection. Once married, Aylmer discovered Georgiana’s natural flaw and obsessed with removing her birthmark in an attempt to achieve the perfection implied by the author into the theme. Here, the symbolism is represented as Georgiana’s birthmark which stands for the

The author mentions how society thinks of Georgiana’s mark. The birthmark resembled a tiny red hand, which men believed was a blessing and enhanced her exceptional beauty while envious women would critique her, and say that it made her look horrendous. These two perceptions that are presented by the author are also conveyed on a smaller scale in the couple’s home. Aminadab is Aylmer’s servant in his scientific experiments. Together they have conducted all of the experiments that are documented in Aylmer’s journals that sit upon his home library. Once Aylmer presents their new experiment, Amnibab disagrees with his objective stating; "If she were my wife, I'd never part with that birthmark" (Hawthorne). The author shows how people value and perceive beauty and perfection differently. Georgiana never thought of Aylmer as a scientist, but when she comes across his journals she becomes fascinated by his work. Hawthorne expresses Georgiana’s perspective of Aylmer by writing; “True to the code of romantic heroines, she worships Aylmer even more after reading of his ambitions and failures, and she projects her romantic exultation onto him, imagining, "trembling .. . at his honorable love—so pure and lofty" (Eckstein). One review shows the relation of scientist with the will of risking anything to succeed in their experiments: “Men of science exchange human sympathy for a pernicious curiosity,

Envious women, greedy men, and ungrateful husbands are examples of traits that make humans impure. Nathaniel illustrates that all Humans are born with their natural flaw or in Aylmer’s case, a sin for questioning what God created and his desire to change it. Some people, such as Hawthorne may view the tampering of nature with science as morally incorrect. ”Hawthorne inherited from his Puritan ancestors a brooding preoccupation with the idea of Original Sin” (Snipes). This idea of impurity in Nathaniel’s writings reflects his concern on the consequences of altering nature with science. The natural flaw in people is what makes a Human in the first place. For example, Hawthorne writes; "My poor Aylmer, 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. Aylmer, dearest Aylmer, I am dying!" (Hawthorn). Once you remove this flaw or sin the being is no longer Human, but the person becomes something similar to a holy spirit. Similar operations take place in modern cosmetic surgery today; However, not all results turn out positive. Many people end up with unsatisfactory results, which is concluded in the main theme of The