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'Perfection In The Birthmark' By Nathaniel Hawthorne

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In “The Birthmark,” Nathaniel Hawthorne represents Aylmer as an ambitious scientist, whose passion is reserved for the study of natural philosophy. The reader is given the impression that Aylmer spends most of his time in a lab. But one day, Aylmer marries young woman, named Georgiana, however, her appearance is not perfect as she has a birthmark on her face. The story immediately shifts to how Aylmer and feels about the birthmark. Aylmer is troubled with the physical and spiritual perfection of his wife and also his own perfection. Aylmer seems to be so obsessed by the birthmark that he was willing to stop short of nothing but its removal. Aylmer does not intend to kill his wife by his actions, but he is so obsessed by making her the …show more content…
Pray do not look at it again. (204)” Aylmer works day and night to come up with a way to get rid of the birthmark and he develops a potion that he thinks will fix her and her spirit, “There is no taint of imperfection on thy spirit. Thy sensible frame, too, shall soon be all perfect! (205)”. Aylmer believes that there is no imperfect in the human spirit and that soon everyone shall be perfect like him. Aylmer is also haunted about himself, he thinks of himself as a god and that he can do anything he wants and can fix anything he wants to fix. “I feel myself fully competent to render this dear cheek as faultless as its fellow; and then, most beloved, what will be my triumph when I shall have corrected what Nature left imperfect in her fairest work!(205)” Aylmer felt he was God-like when he saw Georgiana’s cheek

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