Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
the birthmark nathaniel hawthorne conflict
symbolism essay for the birthmark nathaniel hawthorne
hawthornes poem the birthmark analysis
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: the birthmark nathaniel hawthorne conflict
The allegorical subjects, Science and Nature, are rivaled against each other amongst the multitude of themes in “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. These contrasting concepts represent themselves through the characters Aylmer, Georgiana, and Aminadab who are influenced by the enigmatic symbol of the birthmark in which they aim for its extermination.
The male protagonist, Aylmer, is a man of science. His role in the realm of scientific spirituality is aspiring towards what is naturally impossible: the removal of the birthmark. Even though the birthmark may vanish superficially, the obstacle in its eradication is the symbol Aylmer foreshadows as “sin, sorrow, decay and death,”(Hawthorne) nestled within the soul Nature supplies. These attributes Aylmer classifies toward the birthmark are reflected upon himself. He commits the sins of Greed and Wrath through his excessive lust to control nature and his irrepressible hatred against the birthmark.
In continuation of this, his desire in the conquest over nature is demonstrated through the selection of his books and his past science experiments he shows Georgiana in the boudoir. For example, in his possession are various miracle concoctions like the cosmetic that permanently removes freckles or the Elixir of Immortality, Aylmer claims, can kill any accepting individual with a trivial measurement. “It is the most precious poison that ever was concocted in this world. By its aid, I could apportion the lifetime of any mortal at whom you might point your finger.” (Hawthorne)
Artfully, he names it the Elixir of Immortality when instead it brings mortality to an end. With only his knowledge of what the lethal amounts are, he withholds power over any person of wealth o...
... middle of paper ...
..., I’d never part with that birthmark.” signifying Aminadab’s awareness of the value that will be lost if the symbol were to be removed. Humans are perfect from creation are born with flaws that foreshadow their finite existence. It is established that what is completely perfect cannot exist in the mortal realm.
Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Birth-mark.” Mosses From an Old Manse.Web. July 2011.
Rucker, Mary. “Science and Art in Hawthorne’s ‘The Birth-mark’.”Ninteenth Century Literature.
University of California Press, 1987. p.446. JSTOR Web. July 2011.
Thompson, W.R. “Aminadab in Hawthorne’s ‘The Birthmark’.” Modern Language Notes. The John
Hopkins University Press/JSTOR, 1955. p.413-415. JSTOR. Web. July 2011.
“Vascular Birthmarks”. Health A-to-Z. President and Fellows of Harvard College. 2007. Health and
Wellness Resource Center. Web. July 2011.
Fabricating a type of the romantic artist who has radically creative powers that he exercises, Hawthorne creates in “The Birth-Mark” an extreme situation that bares the fundamentalism of the transcendental aesthetic. Accepting the premise that the artistry of nature, regardless of the apparent coarseness and lack of finish that some products may exhibit, is superior to the artistry of humanity because nature "works from the innermost germ," Hawthorne was initially critical of any discontent with the quantity and quality of nature's bounty. Should the reader emphasize Aylmer's Neoplatonism and his quest for ideal beauty, the disjunction between drama and assertion assumes a thematic function: it is Hawthorne's means to test the values of the ideal artist. Hawthorne even more
In the short story, “The Birthmark” Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the characters, foreshadowing, symbolism, and other rhetorical devices to alert people of the consequences of man having the power to control and alter nature. Additionally, through his skillful usage of diction, Hawthorne warns of the effects of seeking perfection through science. In “The Birthmark”, Aylmer, a man devoted entirely to science, marries Georgiana, a beautiful young woman with a single imperfection. Georgiana’s imperfection bears the resemblance of a tiny crimson hand and is visible on her left cheek. The birthmark becomes the object of Aylmer’s obsession and he resolves to use his scientific prowess to correct “what Nature left imperfect in her fairest work.” He succeeds in removing the birthmark; however, he unfortunately causes his wife’s death in the process. Through “The Birthmark”, Hawthorne suggests that nothing paradisiacal can exist on this earth, and that being imperfect is just part of being human.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Birth-Mark,” Aylmer, a married scientist, believes himself to be above nature. Acting on these beliefs, he prepares
Aylmer as a mad scientist who seemingly only cares about his studies, not having any
"Women Beware Science: 'The Birthmark.'." Short Story Criticism, edited by Rachelle Mucha and Thomas J. Schoenberg, vol. 89, Gale, 2006. Literature Resource Center, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1420071520/LitRC?u=troy25957&sid=LitRC&xid=268bd900. Accessed 8 Dec. 2017. Originally published in Critical Essays on Hawthorne's Short Stories, edited by Albert J. von Frank, G. K. Hall & Co., 1991, pp. 164-172.
Heidegger’s Experiment,” Hawthorne regards scientists as individuals who show a remarkable interest in human behavioral patterns. For example, Dr. Heidegger proclaims, “I am desirous of your assistance in one of those little experiments with which I amuse myself here in my study” (160). Since this experiment is being conducted for his amusement, Heidegger is clearly interested in its results. Generally, the doctor wishes to know whether individuals change when given a second chance. He gives the four subjects water from the fountain of youth to see if their behavior changes given a second chance at juvenescence. However, they commit the same imprudent mistakes that they had in their youth. This confirms Heidegger’s notion that people do not change, and Hawthorne is able to depict scientists’ interest in the human mind. The mysterious doctor also states, “Think what a sin and shame it would be, if, with your peculiar advantages, you should not become patterns of virtue and wisdom to all the young people of the age” (“Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” 162). Heidegger’s statements to the four subjects reveal his intentions and the overall nature of the experiment. The doctor is concerned with the behavior and recklessness of youth rather than the medicinal properties found in the water of youth. Essentially, the four subjects are being given an opportunity to return to their youth. They must not make the foolish mistakes that they each made earlier in their lives. Instead, the individuals should become sources of wisdom for younger generations. Hawthorne’s portrayal of Heidegger and his interest in the behaviors of his subjects demonstrates scientists’ love for experimentation. Hawthorne regards scientists as individuals who will carry out experiments to better understand human behavior. He clearly portrays this through Heidegger’s experiment in which the subjects’ behavior is analyzed to determine whether humans will change given a second
The birthmark is a compelling story of one man’s obsession with his scientific ability to produce perfection. Aylmer, a scientist, is married to a Georgiana who is a very beautiful woman. Not long after getting married Georgiana’s birthmark, which is in the shape of a tiny handprint on her check, really begins to bother Aylmer. He sees it as a flaw in an other wise perfect woman. Georgiana knows that her birthmark disgusts him and, having grown up not bother at all by it, begins to hate it herself. He asks if she has ever considered having it removed. This is not something she has considered since other people in her life, especially men, have always seen it as a “charm”. Aylmer being an amazing scientist almost sees himself as god and feels that he has the power to remove this imperfection. Georgiana, bothered by her husband’s reaction to her birthmark, agrees to let him try to rid her of it. She is taken to his laboratory and he immediately begins to experiment. After she finds Aylmer’s book of experiments, which all end in failure, she for the first time, has some doubt about how this will work and confronts him. He reassures her and begins to try a multitude of methods, with the help of his assistant Aminadab, which do not work. At one point, there are several experiments going on and he even refers to himself as a “sorcerer” (Hawthorne 232). Finally, he produces a potion, which she drinks, and the birthmark begins to disappear! Slowly though, even as the experiment is working, Georgiana is fading away. He finds that ultimately, the birthmark was connected to her very soul and in his trying to act god like he actually kills her. Really this short story just proves that science has its limits and no man should try to act like G...
Perfection is in the eye of the beholder. Often times scientific advancements attempt to recreate perfection and disregard nature’s way of being. “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne shows the disconnection and battle between science and Mother Nature. Hawthorne creates the character, Aylmer, to show the science side of the spectrum and to show the extent it could go to. The protagonist, Aylmer, believes that with science anything can be done. Aylmer is a very intelligent and famous scientist who has worked in various fields and on various projects. Although he is very successful He is consumed with his idea of scientific perfection and he lets it fog up his vision of his wife. His wife, Georgina, is described as being basically perfect except for a small red mark on her cheek that burdens her husband. The
with a mortal frame” (Hawthorne 354). By tracing the tipping scales of perfection vs. dissatisfaction, readers of “The Birthmark” witness the slow demise of Georgiana and Aylmer, and gain important insight into human nature.
To understand the message of “The Birthmark”, we must first understand the events and circumstances that took place in Hawthorn’s time period which most likely prompted him to write this short story. Nathaniel Hawthorn was a 19th century novelist who is perhaps best known for writing The Scarlet Letter. In Hawthorn’s time, a new belief system called positivism was on the rise. Positivism exalted science. This ne...
Since a boy, Frankenstein’s passion is to explore science and that which cannot be seen or understood in the field. He spent the later part of his childhood reading the works of commonly outdated scientists whose lofty goals included fantastic, imaginative desires to “penetrate the secrets of nature” (Vol. 1, Ch. 2). While he was told that these authors predated more real and practical scientists, he became intrigued by their ambitions, and devoted himself to succeeding where they had failed. When Victor is criticized at college for his previous studies in obsolete research, he takes after one of his professors, M. Waldman, in studying chemistry. In a lecture, Waldman tells of ancient teachers in chemistry who promised miracles and sought after “unlimited powers” (Vol. 1...
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark”, is the story of a crazed scientist whose strive for perfection not only leads to the death of his beautiful wife, but the attempt of man to have power over nature. It follows the story of Aylmer and his obsession with removing the birthmark off his beautiful wife, Georgiana. “His unnatural fixation to his wife’s birthmark even consumes him in his sleep as he dreams of cutting it off much like scraping an apple off its skin.” (Snodgrass 29). This narrative explores the themes of perfection, and the conflict between science and the natural world.
Nathaniel Hawthorne did not do much explaining when it came to the characters involved in "The Birthmark". He did not portray the main characters: Aylmer, Georgiana, and Ambidab as human beings, but rather as symbols. While analyzing the story "The Birthmark", I have achieved some great insight of the author 's articulate writing style; especially, his style of making characters have symbolic meaning. In this story, Hawthorne uses his characters to symbolize specific things. In this ambiguous, short story, the three characters each symbolize Science, Beauty, and Nature. Each character represents an unusual force that has equally worked against each other.
In Nathanial Hawthorne’s “The Birth-Mark,” Aylmer, a crazed, “mad-scientist,” seeks to remove the scarlet handprint birthmark from his wife, Georgiana’s cheek. From the opening of the work, the third person narrator describes Aylmer’s obsession with science and the adverse effects it has had on his social life. Aylmer is tied up in this battle within himself and with his assigned association between the natural and the spiritual world. He wishes to have as much control over these colliding worlds as possible, granting himself god-like power and control in the process. In the art of manipulating nature through science, Aylmer believes he is able to alter the spiritual aspects of the natural as well. Aylmer’s focus on spirituality is Hawthorne’s way of commenting on mankind’s fixation on sin and redemption.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1843 short story entitled “The Birth-Mark” is, at face value, a traditionally formatted Hawthorne story; it is a textbook example of his recurrent theme of the unpardonable sin as committed by the primary character, Aylmer, the repercussions of which result in the untimely death of his wife, Georgiana. However, there seems to be an underlying theme to the story that adds a layer to Hawthorne’s common theme of the unpardonable sin; when Aylmer attempts to reconcile his intellectual prowess with his love for his wife, his efforts turn into an obsession with perfecting his wife’s single physical flaw and her consequent death. This tragedy occurs within the confines of traditional gender