Power In John Steinbeck's The Birthmark

Decent Essays
Aylmer just want to be in control of his wife life. He has power because he talks her into getting the birthmark removed. "Aylmer now remembered his dream. He had fancied himself, with his servant Aminidab, attempting an operation for the removal of the birth mark."(420) That goes to show you the power that the birthmark has on Alymer it has him dreaming about it. Aminidab is basically Alymer assistant he really doesnt have any power he just do what Alymer tells him to do. He has no problem with the birthmark he thinks its a beautiful thing on Alymer wife face. Georgiana on the other hand she has the thought power to think about taking her own life because of her husband not liking her birthmark. She notes that other man think its nice and

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    In “chapter 39” Laila is about to give birth to her second child , unfortunately the Taliban gender segregated hospitals in Kabul. This results in overcrowding, sanitary concerns,and even running out of anesthetic to treat patients with. After fighting crowds to get in Laila and Mariam discover that for the child to be born Laila will have to go through an emergency c-section without anesthetic. Without hesitation Laila says “Cut me open and give me my baby”. This shows what pain she is willing to go through for her child.…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    She agrees to allow him to remove the birthmark but in doing so he kills his wife. The birth mark was something that was given to her by nature and was considered…

    • 280 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Grovenger 1 Society judges the individual by their good and bad decisions are how others see and judge someone. It doesn’t matter what the intentions of their actions are, it is the results that people judge them by. John Steinbeck, in his novel, East of Eden, uncovered and explored this concept. This idea is revealed through his unique writing style and character development. Using characterization and metaphors, John Steinbeck reveals that no matter what you believe, choices are what truly defines who a person is rather than the intentions behind those choices.…

    • 1258 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Of Mice and Men is a famous novel written by John Steinbeck. It was published in 1937. This novel is about two young men named George Milton and Lennie Small who move to a ranch to work during the period of The Great Depression. These two displaced men go through several situations at the ranch but still hope to work their best. Disenfranchisement is clearly presented in the society of this novel using gender and space through literary theories such as Foucault and Feminism.…

    • 922 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Flawlessness, the most unattainable thought in which we all pursue to achieve. Many are obsessed with perfection. In our attempts, we utilize compulsiveness as an instrument to impart the most astounding gauges or execution conceivable. This approach to accomplishing our objectives has positive and negative results. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story The Birthmark, he exposes how Alymer, a neurotic perfectionist (a person who strives for unrealistic goals and is dissatisfied when the task is not achieved), deals with his wife’s flaw.…

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    At the moment he removes her birthmark, she dies. Aylmer achieves his wish to remove his wife's birthmark, but he lost a greater thing: his wife. All humans are flawed and…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “The Birth-Mark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a short story that carries an important moral. In the story, Aylmer sets out to achieve perfection. He does not consider the consequences of his actions due to the fact that he is too overtaken by reaching ultimate, physical perfection. He is obsessed with his wife’s external appearance to the extent that a small birthmark, considered beautiful by many, deeply bothers him. He wishes to remove it because he believes that it spoils her otherwise perfect beauty.…

    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    A humans’ desire to defy Mother Nature can sometimes cause a problem to another human if it cannot be controlled. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “The Birthmark” illustrates a Man versus Nature theme as mans desire to fix what Mother Nature created leads him on a quest towards perfection. Humans are imperfect beings; therefore, they cannot be perfect despite their attempts through science. Furthermore, if one reaches perfection then they are no longer considered human. Thesis Statement: In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “The Birthmark,” the main character Aylmer pursuit for perfection conflicts directly with human mortality, ultimately resulting in the death of his wife, Georgiana.…

    • 1336 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “The Birth-Mark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a story sets itself apart from the many others already read during this semester. Most of the short stories read in this class have had an ironic ending the reader wouldn’t expect. The use of foreshadowing and strange amount of predictability in this short story are what set it apart from others and is what grabbed my attention. Hawthorne uses symbolism that goes even deeper than what can be read in the story itself. Symbolism, foreshadowing, and character build up all tie into the plot, which altogether leads the reader to the overall theme of the story.…

    • 1261 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Nathaniel Hawthorne’ s short story, “The Birthmark”, demonstrates a war between the artificiality of science and the spirituality of religion. Hawthorne uses the characters Aylmer and Aminadab as symbols of ideologies and mindsets epitomized in Romanticism. Romanticism, as classified in the “The Birthmark”, is interested in the matters of imagination and artistic expression, straying from the science-driven Enlightenment philosophies that concentrate mainly around reason, logical thinking, and the strive to gain more knowledge. Aylmer’s attempt to remove the birthmark on the face of his wife, Georgiana, supplements his belief that nature can be altered or corrected. Aylmer’s ultimate defeat reflects the end of the Enlightenment era and start…

    • 1062 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Essay On The Birthmark

    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages

    THE BIRTHMARK The birthmark, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, follows the story of a scientist named Aylmer who marries the beautiful Georgina. Not long after getting married, Georgiana’s birthmark, which is in the shape of a tiny red hand on her left cheek, really begins to bother Aylmer. One day he asks her if she has ever considered having it removed. This is not something she has considered since other people in her life, especially men, have always seen it as a charm.…

    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    No one is ‘perfect’. Perfection is a word we misuse to describe those who we think are above us in terms of power, beauty and much more. We often criticize those around us and ourselves due to our infinite imperfections while we should be focusing on other aspects of life. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Birthmark”, the primary focus is on human perfection as the protagonist tries to restructure the face of his wife, but it ultimately leads to her demise. This story is a mirror of life since it depicts that humans are flawed beings by our appearance or the way we are obsessed with finding flaws in others, and we should embrace others and our flaws.…

    • 1108 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He is considered the voice of reason. Before proceeding the operation, Aminidab mumbles “if she were my wife, I 'd never part with that birthmark"(Hawthorne, “The Birth-Mark”), suggesting that he did not see anything with the birthmark nor did he feel it necessary to remove especially considering to risks. Nonetheless, Aylmer selfishly decides to go through with the operation that ultimately leads to her Georgiana’s death. Hawthorne uses this story to illustrate the possible dangerous…

    • 1002 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The birthmark is one of Georgiana’s unique qualities that makes her human and indicates that nature is in control of everyone. When Aylmer, a mere human, alters Georgiana’s birthmark and removes it with a chemical potion, Aylmer reaps the consequences: his wife’s death. Since Aylmer scientifically changed Georgiana, nature punished Aylmer by killing the one person he loved. Aylmer is an example of humankind pushing the limits of science and the devastating effects it can lead…

    • 852 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The heart of a story lies in the moral. Once a story has been read, the reader must understand the moral, in order to appreciate the story. Sometimes a story 's moral can be explained with a cliché. Washington Irving 's Rip Van Winkle, can be captured by the cliché, you reap what you sow. Rip 's life was not fruitful, as many years were wasted, causing him to not reap any rewards.…

    • 1220 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays