Amanda Brandorff Angie Jacobs ENC 1102 April 9, 2014 Critical Analysis of Nathaniel Hawthornes The Birth-Mark There

are many different ways people show love for one another. In Nathaniel Hawthornes short story The Birth-Mark, scientist Aylmer is trying to remove a birthmark from his wife Georgianas cheek to make her perfect. Using science in an attempt to change her natural beauty Aylmer is trying to prove his love for her, but ends up only suffocating it by making the mark a symbol of his demise. Throughout the story Hawthorne explores the themes of love and science through the meaning of the mark, while providing evidence of feminism taking place in Aylmer and Georgianas relationship. In the short story "The Birth-Mark" theme is an important literary element that is used. Hawthorne explores many themes there is not a specific one, there are a few, love being one of them. Hawthorne also plays into science and nature a lot. Aylmer talks Georgiana into letting him remove the mark that he so strongly dislikes. In his mind he is just trying to make her more beautiful, I shall have corrected what Nature left imperfect in her fairest work! (Hawthorne 295), is what Aylmer says to his wife. Showing that science can be used against nature. He tries very hard to manipulate nature by removing the mark and only wants to improve natural creation. Aylmer the scientist represents science and the beautiful Georgiana representing humanity or nature. He becomes eaten away by the mark trying to remove it, and ignoring completely the reason he married her, love. On the other hand, that is all Georgiana is worried about. In the story she says, It has been so

often called a charm, that I was simple enough to imagine so [](Hawthorne 291). This statement made by Georgiana shows that she cares. She likes her mark and thinks it is special but wants to make Aylmer happy. She is willing to risk her life to science so her husband will love her more. Georgiana is doing so out of love for him, the opposite of what Aylmer is really doing. He wants to change her out of his own selfish wants, because his science his first love and can help him fix his second love. While also fusing them together, whether her realizes it or not Aylmer is getting the best of both of his worlds at once, Georgiana and Science. A person to spend all his life and splendid talents in trying to achieve something naturally impossible- as to make a conquest over nature [] (Rucker), this is describing Aylmers life and conquest to change the hideous mark. Hawthorne directly place science and nature against each other. This short story is a good example of what science does to nature, slowly killing it. Aylmers continuous attempts and making a big deal of this mark Georgiana believe she is not beautiful anymore and when going to remove it she fainted. Showing that the science though it is thriving, cannot do so if nature is thriving also, which is why Georgiana fainted. If she were my wife, Id never part with that mark. (Hawthorne 294), Aminadab, Aylmers assistant says this to him after Georgiana faints. After Aminadab says this to Aylmer he becomes aware that he should love her no matter what and he is regretful of his actions. I would not wrong either you or myself by working such inharmonious effects upon our lives; (Hawthorne 296), Aylmer says this to his wife after she wakes up from fainting. This line shows that he is remorseful for affecting their love by trying to remove the charm upon her check. He comes to realize the birthmark he hated so

much is a charm and is reminded of his love for his wife. Removing the mark is not worth it if it is going to hurt or affect Georgiana. Theme isnt the only literary element present in The Birth-Mark; symbolism plays a major role throughout the story as well. Symbols are used to show different qualities and ideas. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the mark to represent Georgianas humanity, mortality and even love. Aylmer wants this hideous mark removed from his wifes face so much that he dreams of it. In Aylmers dream he attempts to cut out the mark with the use of a surgical knife, which in turn the mark ends up in her heart. Jeffrey Howard supports this by saying The heart in Aylmers dream, a symbol of love, may once again give the impression that Aylmer loves his wife. He ambitiously pursues perfection in her physical appearance in order to benefit her and effect the development of unity between them.(Howard), The heart is a symbol of love because even though Aylmer is trying to fix her using his other love of science, she is unifying both of his worlds with this mark. This use of the symbol of love relates directly to the theme. Also, the mark is symbolic of Georgianas humanity. Aylmer as the scientist wants to change Georgianas mark by placing nature against science another major theme in the story. Because the theme of science and nature and is so prevalent in the story The BirthMark, it directly makes the mark symbolic of the fact that Georgiana is human and not invincible. As I said previously, she was willing to give her life for Aylmers science and love as long as he was happy. Steven Youra said, To Aylmer, the mark suddenly signifies that humans are directly connected to the lowest life forms; that we are mortal; (Youra), Georgiana is willing to die to fix the mark because even if she dies trying to get rid of the mark out of love for her husband. She would be dying no matter what, whether she was

physically dying from Aylmers removal of the mark, or dying on the inside because her husband considers her to be imperfect. This proves that the mark is symbolic of humanity and mortality. The Feminist criticism also is a key factor of this short story. In the mid 1800s when this story was written the roles of men and woman were a lot different then they are in society today. The social roles and interests change over time and the gender inequality being more typical then, then now. The Birth-Mark is a love story, like most of Hawthornes greatest fiction, concerned with the relation between men and women. (Rosenberg). The roles of women at the time being the wife and the man being the one who works and makes the decisions for the household. In the story Aylmer is not fond of the mark, because Aylmer is the man in the relationship Georgiana is expected to conform to what he wants because he is the husband. She chooses to change it for him, but it can be argued that she either did it out of love or marriage. Also, he is obsesses with this mark, because the mark is on his wife Aylmer sees the flaw as his own. In those times the men took personal responsibility for their wives. Aylmer seeing the mark as a flaw saw it as his own flaw because of this supporting a feminist criticism. Ultimately, in the short story The Birth-Mark Nathaniel Hawthorne was trying to exhibit the different themes love and science versus nature. He also proves that Georgianas birthmark is a symbol of humanity and love. Hawthorne also touches on the feminist criticism through the time period that the story was written making this criticism evident in his work.