Symbolism In 'The Birthmark' By Nathaniel Hawthorne
In a text, symbolism can unveil a whole new plot and give the reader many different interpretations of the story. In his story “The Birthmark,'' Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism to portray many different meanings behind one birthmark laid upon Georgianna’s face. This birthmark can be interpreted many different ways. Some may believe that the birthmark symbolizes religion however, the mark actually symbolizes human imperfection. On the outside, the birthmark resembles the touch of God that enhances Georgianna’s beauty, but when one dives deeper they realize that it actually symbolizes human imperfection. Georgianna, even though beautiful, is human and all humans have flaws. Hawthorne uses this beauty mark to argue that no one is perfect and …show more content…
Aylmer wants his wife to be perfect, however he believes that the birthmark on her face is keeping her from being so. The birthmark can be a symbol for many things, but the most important being human imperfection. Georgianna’s beauty is hidden behind this mark and that can be interpreted as outer and inner beauty. Almyer wants to rid his wife of physical imperfections and internal imperfections as well. Hawthorne shows that Almyer becomes even more disgusted with Georgianna as he thinks more of this mark (388). He literally wants to rid her of her one unattractive flaw and symbolically wants to rid her of any inner flaw. Hawthorne invites the reader to come to this understanding especially after Georgianna dies because it shows that she cannot live without her flaws just as humans cannot live without flaws because every human has …show more content…
Hawthorne shows when Almyer gets rid of Georgianna’s birthmark he takes away her imperfection which also takes away her humanity. Once she loses her only imperfection, she becomes perfect and she can not live because she is no longer human. Hawthorne's argument is that everyone has flaws and when Georgianna no longer had any flaws, she was not human anymore and was sent to heaven. The birthmark itself can show the audience that one’s duty as a human is to not be perfect and the world has no room for those who are. Aylmer is not perfect either and one can see this in his previous failures in science as well as his failure with
The Birthmark Analysis Essay
717 Words | 3 PagesIn 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.
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).
Sacrifice In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Birthmark'
211 Words | 1 PagesGeorgiana was born with a birthmark on her cheek, unlike everybody else, Aylmer, her husband, used to be obsessed with it and was trying everything he could to remove it. That birthmark used to represent a challenge for Aylmer. Aylmer had the chance to marry Georgiana, an extremely beautiful woman not only by her appearance but also by her character, she is the perfect wife a man can ever find. However, he was not satisfied with her natural beauty. He wanted her to be perfect, in other words, he wanted her to be supernatural.
Examples Of Archetypes In The Birthmark
549 Words | 3 PagesHis obsession over the birthmark became overwhelming for his loving wife, to the point where she feels as if “a red-hot iron had touched her cheek” whenever the birthmark is mentioned. While she once referred to her mark as a “charm” she changes her tone to describe it negatively after she now associates it as the object of Aylmer’s “horror and disgust.” To intensify Aylmer’s obsession leading to Georgiana’s insecurity, it is mentioned that he did not think about the birthmark until after they had married, after Georgiana had grown to love Aylmer and his view of her
Obsession In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark
422 Words | 2 PagesHe sees it as a flaw and a sign of imperfection, stating, "If she were my wife, I'd never part with that birthmark. " This quote reveals Aylmer's obsession with perfection, as he cannot tolerate anything that he deems to be imperfect. Aylmer's obsession grows as he becomes fixated on removing the birthmark, convinced that it is the key to achieving perfect beauty. He becomes increasingly consumed with the idea, saying, "This one defect was the visible mark of earthly imperfection. " This quote highlights Aylmer's belief that perfection can only be achieved by removing all imperfections, no matter how small they may seem.
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
Symbolism In The Birthmark
1099 Words | 5 PagesAs Nathaniel Hawthorne states in “The Birthmark'', “... the spectral hand that wrote mortality where he would fain have worshiped”(7). This tiny piece of his wife symbolizes imperfection of humankind, as well as death in ways he becomes uncomfortable to. Alymer is described as a “...man of science…”(Hawthorne 5), and he is hyper fixated on the idea of imperfection versus perfection. “...expressed the ineludible gripe in which mortality clutches the highest and purest of earthly mould"; it was "the symbol of imperfection" (p. 766). Such a reading, then, permits him to transform Georgiana into the subject of a scientific experiment…”(Weinstein ⅜).
The Birthmark Character Analysis
573 Words | 3 PagesIn “The Birthmark”, Aylmer is bothered in seeing a birthmark on his wife Georgiana’s cheek. I believe that Aylmer was truly evil in the way he manipulated Georgiana in thinking he truly cared about her. Aylmer’s ideas of perfection were the most dangerous thing about him and even led him to kill. When Georgiana learned of her husband’s disdain towards her birthmark she was devastated. Slowly, Aylmer manipulated Georgiana into believing that this mark would need to be removed.
Examples Of Figurative Language In The Birthmark
590 Words | 3 PagesThe 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.
The Birthmark Nathaniel Hawthrone Analysis
965 Words | 4 Pages"No, dearest Georgiana, you came so nearly perfectly from the hand of Nature, that this slightest defect, which we hesitate to term a defect or a beauty, shocks me as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection." Alymer sees this mark as something ruining an almost perfect canvas. Knowing her husband views this mark, which she believes is a charm her whole life, as a defect really hurts her self-esteem. Now something she once viewed as a charm she now is almost as disgusted by it as Alymer is. She cannot bear to look at herself in the mirror or to see her real beauty.
Georgiana's Birthmark Symbolism
408 Words | 2 PagesIt shows that our flaws make up a large part of who we are which make it very difficult to separate the two. To remove it would only result in failure. Aylmer finally is able to remove “the last crimson tint of the birthmark -- that sole token of human imperfection” (13). The mark shows that people are inherently imperfect and it’s what makes us human. Once Aylmer removes that imperfection, Georgiana dies because it is impossible to obtain perfection as a person.
Compare And Contrast Rappaccini's Daughter And The Birthmark
743 Words | 3 PagesEqually Aylmer and Dr. Rappiccini, both characters in Hawthorne’s works causes destruction of human life with selfish aims to perfect the woman of their choice. In the case of Aylmer’s love interest in science, just as with the case of Beatrice’s father, blinds him to the true beauty and humanity of the woman before him. Aylmer views Georgiana’s birthmark as a symbol of imperfection and tries to remove it. At the end of the story, Georgiana say, "My poor Aylmer," she repeated, with a more than human tenderness, "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.
How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Irony In The Birthmark
949 Words | 4 PagesGeorgiana has a red, hand-shaped birthmark on her cheek. In the story, Aylmer quickly becomes obsessed
Georgiana's Unhealthy Relationship In The Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne
791 Words | 4 PagesWhen Aylmer and Georgiana got married, Georgiana was taken from her mothers home, making her complete dependent on Aylmer and his opinions. In addition to this, Aylmer’s belief hat he is better than God, and has the ability to remove Georgiana’s birthmark, creates inequality in their relationship. Finally, due to Georgiana’s obsession with what Aylmer thinks of her, paired with Aylmer's rude looks and comments, leads her to do something
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).
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