Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote "The Birthmark" in the mid 1800's when society was dominated by Puritan beliefs. He was born in Massachusetts in 1804 and many of his writings reflect his Puritan upbringing. In "The Birthmark", Hawthorne tells a story of an eminent professor whose love for science could never be equaled by anything else on God's earth. Aylmer's belief that science is more powerful than nature is what causes his downfall and the death of one of natures most beautiful creations.
             "In those days when the comparatively recent discovery of electricity and other kindred mysteries of nature seemed to open paths into the region of miracle, it was not unusual for the love of science to rival the love of woman in its depth and absorbing energy."(p.203) Aylmer's obsession with science becomes intertwined with his obsession for that minute imperfection on Georgiana's beautiful face. As time passed he found that this tiny crimson birthmark grew more and more unbearable and to move on with his life with Georgiana, something had to be done to erase natures mark. Hawthorne utilizes the reddish color crimson to describe that "fatal flaw of humanity", and uses it to contradict the "deathlike paleness" of Aylmer. This imagery repeats itself throughout the story showing the difference between the scientific Aylmer and the incredibly natural Georgiana. It is not that Aylmer does not love his wife, it is certain that he does, but his passion for science grows as brightly as the birthmark itself.
             One of the major themes in "The Birthmark" is mans obsession with perfection. Hawthorne believes in the universal truth that nothing in the world is perfect. People are not perfect because the human condition is imperfect. If people were perfect then every person would be the same, the world would have no diversity, and everything would be uniform.
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