The Birthmark Paper
Matthew Longman Thursday, October 25, 2001 In Nathanial Hawthorne's short story, the Birthmark, he tells a story about a scientist, who believes he is more creative and skilled than Mother Nature herself, and his wife Georgiana. In the short story, Georgiana's birthmark is representative of her soul because of several examples and instances in the story. There are several points in the story that imply her soul is linked to her birthmark. For example, the way Aylmer acts towards Georgiana, the way others act and feel towards her, also the way Georgiana feels about it herself, and several quotes in the story. Hawthorne expresses these ideas very well and on several occasions. In the beginning of the story, Hawthorne shows the level of desire at which Georgiana is held. He describes how the birthmark "left this impress there in token of the magic endowments that were to give her such sway over all hearts. Many a desperate swain would have risked life for th
Hawthorne uses physical elements in the story to connect, represent, and illustrate ideas and spiritual elements in the story. Georgiana says, "Oh, spare me! Pray do not look at it again. She feels her birthmark is a part of her, she says "Alas! It was true! The fatal hand had grappled with the mystery of life, and was the bond in which an angelic spirit kept itself in union with a mortal frame. " She wants to please Aylmer and be rid of the birthmark, or die. When Aylmer looks at the birthmark on Georgiana's face, it is so hard for him to grasp the concept of imperfection that he shudders. In the end, after Georgiana's death, Hawthorne makes the reader think about the sacrifice made by Georgiana, and whether or not it worth it for Aylmer to lose his wife over his obsession with perfection. I believe that she has come to a point where Aylmer is all she has, and she wants nothing more than to please him, because of her willingness to part with such a significant part of her. He cannot create a spiritual potion, however, he can create a physical potion. He sees her birthmark as a representative of her soul. " By stating that her "crimson hand" is linked with her soul, she is letting the reader know just how important the birthmark is and how great of a loss it would be for her. Georgiana sees the way Aylmer thinks of her and her birthmark. He is caught up in his world of science and experiments, and he fails to love Georgiana in anything more than a superficial manner. Aylmer feels more of himself than this ordeal. I never can forget that convulsive shudder.
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