Noble Love in The Birthmark
Often billed as a story of an unsuccessful attempt to beat Nature at her own game, “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne certainly lends itself to a somewhat deeper interpretation. Over the years many scholars have noted that the story of Aylmer and Georgiana is riddled with traditional Hawthorne themes such as the evils of selfishness and pride, coupled with an element of solitariness (Arvin xvi). However, we are want to consider whether Aylmer’s motives in this story are purely selfish. Does this man perhaps deserve a touch of human sympathy?
With blazingly obvious symbolism, clearly defined by the author himself, the reader can choose to take the tale for what it seems to be, a purely selfish experiment gone awry. Yet, it seems as though Hawthorne was sympathetic to his man of science, leaving open for discussion the idea that love did exist in this sordid world of tiny hands and test tubes. Although it is at times ambiguous, the tone of the story seems to point to just this idea. Of it Richard Fogle writes:
“…Hawthorne’s attitude is so removed and imperturbable that nothing in the story can be taken simply; in “The Birthmark” he reaches his furthest rage of disengagement” (Fogle 118). It is through the intellectual and moral development of Georgiana, not the scientists own actions or words, that the reader comes to understand that although twisted in his methods, Aylmer does possess a kind of “noble” love.
When the story opens, we are told that “an experience of spiritual affinity more attractive than any chemical one” has caused “a man of science” to take leave of his laboratory and be married. The narrator also tells the reader it was not unusual, in ...
... middle of paper ...
...horne 165). Wife-less and left only with his hairy apprentice, Aylmer can at least rest assured that he “aimed loftily” and acted “nobly.”
Works Cited
Arvin, Newton. Introduction. Hawthorne’s Short Stories. Ed. Newton Arvin. New York: Vintage Books, 1946. v-xvii.
Fogle, Richard Harter. Hawthorne’s Fiction: The Light and The Dark. Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1964. 117-31
Fossum, Robert H. Hawthorne’s Inviolable Circle: The Problem of Time. Florida: Everett/Edwards Inc, 1972. 77-79
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Birthmark.” Hawthorne’s Short Stories. Ed. Newton Arvin. New York: Vintage Books, 1946. 147-65.
Stein, William Bysshe. Hawthorne’s Faust: A Study of the Devil Archetype. New York: Archon Books, 1968. 91-92
Lathrop, G. P., ed. "Hawthorne, Nathaniel." The Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature. Binghamton, New York: Vail-Ballou, 1962. 439-40. Print.
The statue stands down the third base line outside of Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. The statue has an inscription that reads, "Here stands baseball's perfect warrior. Here stands baseball's perfect knight." That was what commissioner Ford Frick’s opinion was about Stan Musial but his opinion was far from the rest of the countries opinion. Musial was not your “ideal” star. He didn’t marry Marilyn Monroe or hit in 56 straight games like Joe DiMaggio. Musial didn’t resemble youth like Willie Mays or tape-measure home runs like Mickey Mantle. Stan the Man instead to be preferred to be known for his coiled, wacky batting stance, his service in the military, never refusing an autograph, and his favorite saying “Whaddya say!” As Bob Costas said, “His excellence was a quiet excellence.” Musial influenced baseball in the 40s through the 60s
"Nathaniel Hawthorne." American Studies @ The University of Virginia. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2013. http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma01/lisle/dial/hawthorne.html
Lang, H.J.. “How Ambiguous Is Hawthorne.” In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.
Kopley, Richard. “Hawthorne’s transplanting and transforming ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’”. GALE Studies in American Fiction 23.2 (1995): 231-234
McPherson, Hugo. “Hawthorne’s Use of Mythology.” In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.
All sea cucumbers are ocean dwellers. Some of it inhabits the shallows and others live in the deep ocean. They live on the ocean floor and sometimes partially buried underneath it. There are also some species that hide under rocks or in crevices. Sea cucumber is ocean dwellers that survive feeding on tiny particles like algae, microscopic aquatic animals such as plankton, and waste materials that fall onto the sea floor. They plays an important role in the ecosystems because they will break down all those particles into even smaller pieces, which become food for bacteria, and thus recycle the nutrient back into the ocean ecosystem.
Small, Stephen. “Saint Kitts and Nevis”. World Book Student. World Book, 2014. Web. March 12, 2014. .
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. American Literature. Vol. 1. New York: Penguin Academics, 2004. 592-778. Print.
... end in the drive through she is also an authority, stating she doesn't have time for 50 Cent's daydreaming.
P.E. can help each child with development of these skills. P.E. teachers can take the time to look at children as a whole rather than in separate parts.
As an education major at State College, I’ve decided to become a teacher for several reasons. As I progressed through elementary, middle, and high school, many of my teachers were great role models for me. This has inspired me to become a role model for someone in the near future. My love for science and math has also influenced my desire to teach and make a difference in a child’s life. I want to teach students the subjects that I love so much. I want the feeling that I helped a child accomplish or learn something they couldn’t understand. One of the main reasons I want to become an educator is because I feel education has really lost teachers who truly love teaching and those who truly love teaching and those who have the desire to make a difference. I feel I can really help make a difference in the education world and bring back the love to teach.
My philosophy of education is basically rooted in my thoughts on what makes a teacher valuable to his or her school and particularly his or her students. To me an effective educator is, first and foremost, someone who genuinely cares about the quality of the education a student is receiving. My memories of great teachers always involve teachers who obviously put time and thought into their lessons. They offered their time to students who wanted to imp...
As we reminisce and reflect back either on our childhood or academic career, we tend to have that one teacher who was memorable to us in some way - for their sense of humor, their stellar personality, or perhaps having that charisma and charm no other teacher had to make a difficult subject and it 's concepts fun to learn. While knowledge is power, I firmly believe that it is rather the exchange and distribution of knowledge that is power. When one can educate the masses there is no doubt that together we can accomplish great things. Becoming a teacher would mean the opportunity to be able to witness the shaping and molding of the minds of the future generations and the satisfaction knowing that you have helped your students set themselves onto the right path and provide guidance towards the creation of a better tomorrow. Choosing to become a teacher will allow me not only to educate my students, but also educate myself to be a better teacher throughout my career. I believe it is a function of human nature to want to change the world for the better. In adulthood, I have learned that the improvement of the welfare of the world must begin with
The first main reason that I have chosen teaching as a profession is because I believe that it’s continuous rewards will help me to lead a happy and fulfilled life. For example, teaching young children is one of the few jobs in which you can give and receive hugs on a daily basis. Children have an innocence and a passion for knowledge that I find amazing and I do not feel complete unless I am around them. Teaching will help provide this fulfillment for me every day. Also, teaching is a job in which it is ok, and even encouraged, to laugh each and every day. I feel that this is important for a person’s well-being and I think that it helps to keep people young and alive. I feel that in many other professions the day-to-day routine would become monotonous and boring, and I do not think that I would live a truly happy and fulfilled life unless I could be around children. I feel that a classroom provides many unique and dynamic opportunities every single day and I find that very appealing. Also, I am a very relationship-oriented person and I feel that I will enjoy building unique relationships with each child. I plan on knowing every child as thoroughly as possible because I feel that this will help me to be better at my job.