Nathaniel Hawthorne Symbolism In The Birthmark
Kurt Vonnegut once said: "If people think nature is their friend, then they sure don't need an enemy." Nature is a higher more powerful force than mankind seems to never fully be able to understand. Man tries to comprehend this power sometimes in the form of different religion or by turning to the supernatural. Men often believe that they are above this power or that they can manipulate it. A prime example of this is in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” Through his use of intricate symbolism, Hawthorne crafts an allegory for man’s unfeasible quest against nature for perfection. The most preeminent symbol is the birthmark within itself. The birthmark symbolizes mortality and more specifically, imperfections. Much of the symbolism of the birthmark is shown through its appearance. Hawthorn describes it gracefully ironically conflicting with the way Aylmer views it. He describes it:
To explain this conversation it must be mentioned that in the centre of Georgiana's left cheek there was a singular mark, deeply interwoven, as it were, with the texture and substance of her face. In the usual state of her complexion — a healthy though delicate bloom —
…show more content…
Jules Zanger for the Chicago Journal states: “From the first paragraph, in which Aylmer takes a bride, to the very last, in which he loses her to death, all the incidents and details of the story chronicle for us the decline of a doomed marriage.”(Zanger 3) It is made unmissable that Georgiana as human being is not the true focus of Aylmer attention. Hawthorne even tells us that she is essentially an afterthought saying: “He had devoted himself, however, too unreservedly to scientific studies ever to be weaned from them by any second passion.” All the while, Georgiana is so committed to Aylmer she submits herself to his experiments with no regard for her own
The Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne
208 Words | 1 PagesNobody is perfect and no one ever will be. This theme shows up often in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, The Birthmark. In this story, a scientist named Aylmer becomes obsessed with removing a hand-shaped birthmark from his wife’s, Georgiana, visage. After a series of tests, he is successful, but Georgiana becomes perfect and can no longer stay in the mortal world, so she dies. The Birthmark demonstrates how foolish it is to strive for perfection and this is revealed throughout the story using narration.
Obsession In Nathanial Hawthorne's The Birth-Mark
1165 Words | 5 PagesWhich 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.
Similarities Between Hawthorne And The Birthmark
871 Words | 4 PagesGeorgiana 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).
Fatality In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark
946 Words | 4 PagesThis overriding confidence makes him blind to his past failures and logical sense. Georgiana pointes out the faults Aylmer’s past experiments by saying, “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.” (Hawthorne, 217). This shows that Aylmer always reached for the unreliable and impossible overcomes when experimenting. This raises concern when Aylmer focuses on using his own wife as an experiment rather than the love of his life.
Obsession In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark
941 Words | 4 PagesIn 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
Hawthorne The Birthmark Analysis
1139 Words | 5 PagesAs Georgiana reveals her true sentiments about her stigma, she states with a sense of pride, “To tell you the truth, it has been so often called a charm, that I was simple enough to imagine it might be so” (Hawthorne 378). In expressing this sense of pride, Georgiana exudes her initial happiness with her birthmark, as she rebuttals with Aylmer. Even in this moment, Hawthorne extracts the mission of Aylmer, as he says, “Until now he had not been aware of the tyrannizing influence acquired by one idea over his mind, and the lengths which he might find in his heart to go, for the sake of giving himself peace” (Hawthorne 380). This selfish statement, causes for readers to recognize that Aylmer was aware that it would be no simple task to convince his muse that it is necessary to change her indifference.
The Birthmark Literary Analysis Essay
717 Words | 3 PagesWhen 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.
Examples Of Figurative Language In The Birthmark
590 Words | 3 PagesHawthorne 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.
Georgiana's Birthmark Symbolism
408 Words | 2 PagesAylmer believes that he can correct “what Nature left imperfect in her fairest work!” (4). Aylmer, who stands as a symbol for science, obsessively seeks to remove Georgiana’s birthmark and make her ideal. When mankind attempts to change nature in the pursuit of perfection, it never ends well as seen in Aylmer’s attempts at
Symbolism In The Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne
824 Words | 4 PagesHe provides the story with a character that identifies contrast between the others. He is Aylmer's assistant although we tend to get the impression that he may actually be smarter than Aylmer in a way. As he realizes that Aylmer has killed Georgiana, he begins to laugh. He believes that Aylmer has simply got what was coming to him. He warned him that she already is perfect and says, “If she were my wife, I'd never part with that birthmark”(208).
The Influence Of Nature In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
1191 Words | 5 PagesNumerous research has concluded that several emotional bonds exist between humanity and nature that can impact everything from attitude to anxiety. Novels of the romanticism period, a significant literary era that encompassed most European works written in the early 1800’s, are most known for describing the impacts that nature has on people and implying that unexpected consequences can arise out of this relationship; Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a prime example of such a novel. The prime conflict of this 1818 science-fiction story occurs between the titular character, Victor Frankenstein, and a monster he creates through his own scientific innovations. Because of Victor’s abandonment of the monster, it becomes intent on destroying the scientist’s
Compare And Contrast Rappaccini's Daughter And The Birthmark
743 Words | 3 PagesNatural Beauty is Perfection Itself In the short stories “The Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the value of science over human life is established. Nathaniel Hawthorne explores the characterization of beauty, emotion over love, versus intellect over science, and an exploration of creator over creation. He presents an idea about scientific research, especially regarding feminine beauty. These tales are told with a motive to give the audience a sympathetic understanding of women’s beauty; which is something precious and already the model of nature’s perfection.
Georgiana's Unhealthy Relationship In The Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne
791 Words | 4 PagesThis quote explains that Georgiana is much younger than Aylmer, and suggests that she was taken from her mother's house in order for them to wed. When women are young they often seek comfort and advice from their families, a luxury that Georgiana does not enjoy. Due to the fact that she is stuck in Aylmer's house, where only his opinion is given
Use Of Literary Devices In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark
633 Words | 3 PagesIt describes him as “Proficient in every branch of natural philosophy”, (Hawthorne, 365) to the extent that he even discovered an elixir that he could determine if a man would drop dead instantly or linger out years after only of a breath of this substance. We see a great irony in how intelligent Aylmer is, and yet how many scientific mistakes he makes. When he uses the elixir of life upon the flower, it grows beautifully but also self-combusts. He then tells Georgiana he will need to use a much stronger substance on her, in order to fix her birthmark. The flower very obviously foreshadows Georgiana’s death, and the result proves that Aylmer’s science can produce extremely unpredictable results.
Theme Of Perfection In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark
416 Words | 2 PagesAylmer is consumed with a pursuit of perfection in his scientific studies and also in nature. The leads to Aylmer being appalled at the blemish on his wife Georgiana’s cheek. He tells Georgiana “you came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature, that this slightest possible defect..shocks me, as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection” (216). This is the catalyst for Aylmer's seeking for perfection in his wife who is a natural being. Aylmer recognizes that there is a “fatal flaw of humanity, which Nature...stamps ineffaceable on all her productions” (216).
More about Nathaniel Hawthorne Symbolism In The Birthmark
The Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne
208 Words | 1 PagesObsession In Nathanial Hawthorne's The Birth-Mark
1165 Words | 5 PagesSimilarities Between Hawthorne And The Birthmark
871 Words | 4 PagesFatality In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark
946 Words | 4 PagesObsession In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark
941 Words | 4 PagesHawthorne The Birthmark Analysis
1139 Words | 5 PagesThe Birthmark Literary Analysis Essay
717 Words | 3 PagesExamples Of Figurative Language In The Birthmark
590 Words | 3 PagesGeorgiana's Birthmark Symbolism
408 Words | 2 PagesSymbolism In The Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne
824 Words | 4 PagesThe Influence Of Nature In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
1191 Words | 5 PagesCompare And Contrast Rappaccini's Daughter And The Birthmark
743 Words | 3 PagesGeorgiana's Unhealthy Relationship In The Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne
791 Words | 4 PagesUse Of Literary Devices In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark
633 Words | 3 PagesTheme Of Perfection In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark
416 Words | 2 Pages