Paste your essay in here…he Birthmark Symbolism
In today's society, humanity tends to be more obsessed with the pursuit of physical perfection. Every day several surgical procedures are performed whose primary intention is to enhance physical perfection. Concerning this, Nathaniel Hawthorne's story "The Birthmark" is a compelling narrative about a brilliant scientist and a natural philosopher named Aylmer, who is obsessed with the removal of a birthmark that adorns the beautiful cheeks of his wife, Georgiana. However, Aylmer enormously loves his wife, but he cannot stand this one feature that is making her fall short of perfection (Howard 133). The narrator illustrates the birthmark in question as a small, pink mark in the shape of a hand on the left cheek of Georgiana. Nevertheless, the powerful symbol used in the story is the birthmark, which the author uses to put more emphasis on the central themes of the story. Also, for Aylmer, he sees the birthmark as a symbol of the imperfection of human nature and mortality. The chief aim of the following essay is to discuss how Nathaniel uses symbolism to address the primary ideas or subjects of the story. The two most dominant themes are the obsession with perfection as well as the conflict between nature and science.
The red hand shaped mark that embellishes the cheek of the otherwise perfect face of a good-looking woman is the essential symbol in the story, and thus the narrator uses it for the title. The birthmark, however, represents the kids that Georgiana will bear as well as the small hands that she will embrace in future. Through this, her position as a woman and maternal is emphasized, but it widens the gap between her and the cold-blooded scientist, Aylmer who doesn't even think about having children. Furthermore, the small size and the minimal effect of the birthmark on the woman's beauty, in reality, show the ridiculousness of the Scientist in search of the highest level of perfection and attractiveness. In other words, it demonstrates how scientists are bewitched with perfecting nature in spite of being aware of the inevitable impacts. It is apparent that the two are genuinely in love, but Aylmer can't accept this tiny hand flaw on his wife's face. The author states "Upon another face perhaps it might, but never on yours dearest Georgiana (Howard 135).” Since he was a scientist, Aylmer tried all means he could to liberate himself and Georgiana of the repulsive birthmark. Ironically, all went erroneous because not only was the birthmark removed but also the life of his wife was lost. Therefore as a result of Aylmer's obsession for perfection, his married life was ruined and did not manage to make Georgiana look perfect. Despite this, he wasn't concerned about the demise since the power of changing nature helped him to pay no attention to the consequences that would follow.
All through the story, Aylmer extremely desires his wife to be an ideal description of herself. As the author states "At every season they were meant to be happy, he consistently and without intending it reverted to this disastrous subject regarding the mark which was a central symbol of imperfection (Howard 136)." Eventually, she finds her identity to be in the one flaw she has and begins to feel of no self-worth to her husband if she is not perfect. While initially, she didn't mind the mark, she ultimately starts to re-examine it because her husband hates it. However, the narrator explains that Georgiana needed to be imperfect for her to survive but the moment the birthmark is taken out, and she appears perfect, she would not exist as a human. Hawthorne argues that in this world, there is no real perfection as when the birthmark was finally removed, Georgiana died implying that she was too perfect for the faulty mortal plane.
Everything that the red mark symbolized, Aylmer was not concerned about it and often distanced himself from it. He only observed in it an imperfection that he was afraid of encountering. Even though others didn't view the mark as a fault but instead a good thing, some, however, insisted that the bloody hand damaged the beauty and perfection of Georgiana and even caused her countenance to be hideous (Paisley). Moreover, the tiny imperfection grows in Aylmer's mind to the extent that the actual prospect of his pretty wife repulses him. Additionally, the intelligent men who are imagined to be Georgiana's admirers in the story comprehend that being perfect is not an ambition worth practicing. The author further stresses that their positive reception of her is far sensible compared to Aylmer's obsession with perfection. According to these men, the defect only enhanced her attractiveness.
The birthmark symbolism is also used to address the issue of the conflict between science and nature. However, Aylmer's urge to control nature with science was the ultimate ruin of his married life. At the beginning of the story, Aylmer is already obsessed with science and can build beautiful scenes and incredible aromas from nothing, although he lacks the capability of managing his wife's spirit or lengthen her survival. Also, Georgiana's birthmark has the power of nature as it fascinates and excites anyone who sees it. The author implies that the hand-shaped mark on Georgiana's face is entirely a natural occurrence (Usedom 1173). Therefore nature created her as a beautiful person, and as a result of the humankind attempt to modify how she is created through experiment, nature punishes them with her demise. This depicts the power of nature over science since the science failed to change and control how Georgiana feels and looks. Nevertheless, Aylmer highly worshipped science, and thus he did not waver to apply his skills to manipulate nature's creations. Although he is conscious of the weak relationship between nature and science, he is blinded by his wife's appearance and carries out risky experimentation with the birthmark. Typically, Aylmer eliminates all sorts of nature from his laboratory; for example, he substitutes the natural sunlight with artificial lamps.
The "Birthmark" was however composed during a time when scientific experiments were much adored, and people had begun to think that science can take them anywhere they want to go. The story represents nature as a personified creator of everything and anyone who attempts to challenge it will often encounter tragic consequences. Aylmer succeeds and fails in some of his laboratory works, for instance, he thrives on getting rid of the birthmark but fails to prolong the life of his wife (Usedom). Further, Georgiana's birthmark suggests that science does not have its restrictions illustrating that certain things are out of control of the humankind. This implies that nature cautiously safeguards her secrets and no human can overcome it. The story also revolves around the human's desire to perfect what seems to be just right by use of science which is a faulty tool to accomplish this perfection.
Conclusively, Hawthorne's story demonstrates critical issues concerning what it means to be human, the important and the effects of science as well as what turns out when humanity attempts to subvert nature through the science experiments. More so, by use of symbolism, significant themes such as the obsession with perfection, nature, and science are well analyzed. From the story it's also evident that trying to exclude a small fault out of proportion with the intention of making something perfect, it only damages an excellence thing and as a result, leaves harmful impacts due to the absurd obsession of practicing perfection. Therefore humans should acknowledge their flaws and those of others since absolute perfection is not possible.