In The Birth-mark by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe, and William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily, all three plays end in murder. Hawthorne’s Aylmer murders his wife, Georgiana; in The Cask of Amontillado, Montresor murders the wine connoisseur Fortunato; and in A Rose for Emily, Emily murders her fiancée. All of the murders were motivated by one thing-Pride.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story The Birth-mark tells the story of the scientist Aylmer and his wife, Georgiana. Georgiana is a beautiful woman with one slight imperfection, a red birthmark in the shape of a tiny hand upon her cheek. The birthmark does not bother Aylmer when he first marries Georgiana, but soon after they are married he comes to loathe the …show more content…
Scientific American talked with Marco Iacoboni, known for his work in studying mirror neurons which help in social situations. When asked what turns anger into action Iacoboni says cognitive control, or the less technical term of self-control, is important in a well-functioning life. Mirror neurons are important to self-control because they mirror what others do. We do not always copy other because there are other brain mechanisms that lessen the effect of mirror neurons. The mirror neurons influence our reactions and actions when it comes to others. For example, if someone were to hit you when you did the wrong task at work or school then you will be more inclined to do the same to another person because that is what your mirror neurons have observed. For Aylmer, his mirror neurons have seen perfection in his scientific studies. They know nothing different so when his wife, all but perfect in regards to the birthmark on her cheek arrives they know not what to do. They must fix it and his pride-the part of his brain that would normally dampen the impulse to make everything perfect- goes along. Montresor, on the other hand is accustomed to Fortunato’s injuries upon him; however, his mirror neurons are not used to insults. The insult that Fortunato threw at Montresor spins him out of control and he kills
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story The Birth-mark tells the story of the scientist Aylmer and his wife, Georgiana. Georgiana is a beautiful woman with one slight imperfection, a red birthmark in the shape of a tiny hand upon her cheek. The birthmark does not bother Aylmer when he first marries Georgiana, but soon after they are married he comes to loathe the …show more content…
Scientific American talked with Marco Iacoboni, known for his work in studying mirror neurons which help in social situations. When asked what turns anger into action Iacoboni says cognitive control, or the less technical term of self-control, is important in a well-functioning life. Mirror neurons are important to self-control because they mirror what others do. We do not always copy other because there are other brain mechanisms that lessen the effect of mirror neurons. The mirror neurons influence our reactions and actions when it comes to others. For example, if someone were to hit you when you did the wrong task at work or school then you will be more inclined to do the same to another person because that is what your mirror neurons have observed. For Aylmer, his mirror neurons have seen perfection in his scientific studies. They know nothing different so when his wife, all but perfect in regards to the birthmark on her cheek arrives they know not what to do. They must fix it and his pride-the part of his brain that would normally dampen the impulse to make everything perfect- goes along. Montresor, on the other hand is accustomed to Fortunato’s injuries upon him; however, his mirror neurons are not used to insults. The insult that Fortunato threw at Montresor spins him out of control and he kills