The Birthmark Written in 1843 by Nathaniel Hawthorn - Essay Example

? 18 September The Birthmark: This essay is primarily based on contemplating the widely acclaimed romantic short story called The Birthmark in critical terms. This enjoyable literary piece introduced in 1843 by Nathaniel Hawthorn explores the questionable and unjustified obsession with human perfection which sometimes gets big enough to destroy lives. Written with unobtrusive panache, the story in particular lays stress on the fact that human perfection is not entirely reachable at all until after death and anyone trying to find perfection in others is only like a deranged person who tries to find a needle lost somewhere in the hay. Hawthorn strives to introduce new horizons to the public and gives them a deep understanding of certain intricate issues of life. The message implied by the story is that people who hopelessly try to see perfection in others only torture themselves and their dear ones as their souls are like barren lands which never get satiated no matter how much rain pounds on them. Main themes of the story explore issues like striving for perfection is only foolishness, people cannot become godlike figures to reverse or combat nature, and no clear line could be drawn setting beauty apart from imperfection. It is stressed that it is always the mix of beauty and flaws that creates uniqueness. In this commendable story about the fanatical obsession a husband has with removing a birthmark from his wife’s face so as to achieve perfection, it is identified that human race is riddled with flaws and no one has ever been known to be born with perfection or totally flawless beauty on the face of Earth. The story did not win the appreciation of all critics as it also attracted some controversy when it was suggested that since the author demonstrated how a man could kill his wife in such a facile manner in the process of achieving perfection and then get away with the murder so conveniently if the consequences turn ugly, this story should be assessed as a failure rather than labeling it a success (Fetterley, cited in Frank 164-173). To some extent this claim made by critics could be held true as the story really contains a detailed description of how Aylmer, a scientist and husband of Georgiana, has a dream one night in which the trademark foreshadowing occurs regarding how the birthmark is connected to Georgiana’s heart. The extent to which Aylmer’s offensive obsession is grown by that point could be judged from the fact that he unconsciously decides to cut out his wife’s heart as well if that is what needed to be done to achieve perfection. Georgiana is presented as a doomed character in the story who does anything and is willing to go through an change, even physical, so as to please her husband but to no avail (Wright). The extent to which demure and faithful Georgiana is hell bent on catering to her husband’s needs could be judged from the quote that “with her whole spirit she prayed that, for a single moment, she might satisfy his highest and deepest conception. Longer than one moment she well knew it could not be” (Hawthorne, cited in SparkNotes Editors). This shows how much sadness and grief is instilled in Georgiana’s heart by his emotionally deadpan husband as she longs for just one moment knowing how longer than that she could never be able to satiate Aylmer’s soul as it always remained in search of something new and perfect. The quote that “for his spirit was ever on the march, ever ascending . . . [requiring] something that was beyond the scope of the instant before” (Hawthorne, cited in SparkNotes Editors) underlines this fact. That is why she even allows Aylmer to perform his experiments on her face so that the birthmark which kept her from becoming all perfect could be removed. Aylmer is introduced as a brainy scientist type who is emotionally a deadpan and fixated on seeing perfection around him to achieve which he is willing to cross all boundaries. Intent on achieving perfection in life and in others, the story reveals how Aylmer’s own personality is riddled with flaws because he submerges himself in the notorious passion of establishing himself as a godlike figure worthy of worship. This he desires of his wife that she worship him and even then, no physical flaw of any kind gets to be tolerated by Aylmer. A quote of the story explaining the first thing Georgiana comes across one day after entering Aylmer’s laboratory and seeing him in the working mode says that “the first thing that struck her eye was the furnace, that hot and feverish worker, with the intense glow of its fire, which by the quantities of soot clustered above it seemed to have been burning for ages” (Hawthorn, cited in Hall). This particular quote is highly symbolic of a devil engrossed in his devilish activities in hell which is why it could be believed that Aylmer gets more like a devil than a normal human when working in his laboratory. The element of symbolism is repeatedly used throughout the story which helps to portray and highlight the main theme and messages hidden in the story. The birthmark alone represents myriad things in the story and is used by the author to convey different kinds of messages to readers. One idea suggested by the symbolic meaning of the birthmark lays stress on how science with all its powers cannot overcome the omnipotent nature. Before taking her to the laboratory to combat nature by removing the birthmark by force, Aylmer tells his wife that “your case demands a remedy that shall go deeper” (Hawthorne, cited in SparkNotes Editors). This quote reveals his plans that he is hell bent on going to any length to reverse nature. In the story before doing surgery he also employs his scientific knowledge to create potions which he makes Georgiana drink treating her like his slave, but none of his efforts yield. His quote that “here is a powerful cosmetic. With a few drops of this in a vase of water, freckles may be washed away” (Hawthorne, cited in SparkNotes Editors) demonstrates his plan to remove the birthmark but the plan backfires on him and he kills his wife. Through this the author conveys the message that the amazing mix of beauty and imperfection is what makes the humans unique but Aylmer fails to appreciate this idea and becomes deranged with wild obsession. Gender roles for men and women are also depicted in the story which portray what kind of gender stereotypes existed in those days. It is easy to judge from Hawthorn’s depiction of men and women that Aylmer as a husband considers himself a consumer of pleasure and satisfaction, while sees his wife as a giver and a dutiful creature. Aylmer being a man makes all the decisions in the story while Georgiana plays the role of a submissive and obedient fool. Gender roles form an important area touched and explored by the author in The Birthmark. It is revealed how a woman’s ultimate desire centered on pleasing her husband like Georgiana is seen dying to satisfy Aylmer’s every expanding lust for perfection. All her actions target at pleasing him and this trend continues to the extent that she even allows him to experiment on her in his laboratory where he works like a devil in hell. Men in those days were considered eligible and smart on grounds of intellectualism while women on grounds of physical beauty. These differences between men and women are well depicted in the story because Aylmer’s intellectual traits like how brainy and scientific he is are stressed repeatedly while Georgiana’s physical traits are stressed by the author by explaining how white her skin is and what a marble like complexion she has. “The loveliness of the language he uses to describe her puts the narrator in opposition to Aylmer” (SparkNotes Editors). This explains that the author makes an effort to show the readers how eligible Goergiana as a woman and as a wife is by laying a great stress on her physical traits which are explained in a very lovely way. This also sets the author in contrast with Aylmer who does not at all think about his wife’s beauty in the same way and continues to dream while both awake and asleep about changing Georgiana and improving on her physically. Summing up, this much becomes clear from the above discussion of The Birthmark that woman is represented as nature in this story and Aylmer foolishly decides to removes the birthmark from Georgian’s face thus going against nature. But even though the birthmark which happens to be a nuisance for Aylmer gets removed, experimenting turns out to be a fatal choice for Georgiana and she dies from the complications thus underlining the reality that in a man’s quest to become godlike, success cannot be achieved. The main theme of the story also deals with this idea that when a man’s desires are incompatible with the flaws and imperfections in humanity, he always remains dissatisfied, anguished, restless, and discontent. How man cannot be omnipotent is proved when Aylmer’s experimental activities fail and Georgiana dies after the surgery. Works cited: Frank, Albert V. Critical Essays on Hawthorne's Short Stories. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1991. Print. Hall, Michael. “Review of The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne.” 29 Dec. 2011. Web. 18 Sep. 2012. SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on The Birthmark.” 2007. Web. 18 Sep. 2012. Wright, Sarah B. Critical Companion to Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work. New York: Facts on File Inc., 2007. Print. Read More