Foreshadowing In The Birthmark

Nathaniel Hawthorne is known as one of the most studied writers from his use of allegory and symbolism. With his ancestors being part of the Salem witchcraft trials, he was burdened with a deep sense of guilt. He then used fiction as a means of exploring the moral dimensions of sin and the human soul. One factor that could have led to Hawthorne writing this story was a new belief system called positivism, which was on the rise during his time. Positivism elevated science. The theme in the story “Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne” is an example of one pushing the limits of science involving conflict, symbolism, and then foreshadowing a fatal ending.
The central conflict that takes place in the story is the relationship between the protagonist and antagonist. Which is shown through the main characters in the story that are married, Georgiana as the protagonist, and Aylmer as the antagonist. The …show more content…
Aylmer’s dream was a strong instance of foreshadowing. Georgiana’s death is foreshadowed by the dream Aylmer has. In Aylmer’s dream he cuts the birthmark, cutting deep while the hand goes into her body down to her heart. He feels that he must remove the hand even if it means taking her Georgiana’s life “Perhaps its removal may cause cureless deformity; or it may be the stain goes deep as life itself (Hawthorne, pg 342). Aylmer’s dream seems to match his real-life experience. Another use of foreshadowing in the story is when Georgina touches the flower and it dies. “But Georgiana had no sooner touched the flower than the whole plant suffered a blight, it’s leaves turning coal black as if by the agency of fire (Hawthorne, pg 344) The flowers death is foreshadowing the fatal death that is to come. Even Georgiana knowing the destructive outcomes of Aylmer’s experiments, she still drinks the drink he has created for her. Knowing that her husband’s experiments have unintended consequences, she knows her death is to