Analysis of “The Birthmark”
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Birthmark” the themes of mortality and foolishness are seen in the two characters, Alymer and Georgiana. Georgiana’s birthmark and Aylmer’s dream are both symbols that are seen in the story. The birthmark is a symbol of the mortality of mankind. In the story Alymer consistently talks down to his beautiful wife, who causes her to feel bad about herself and makes her want Alymer to fix her.
The birthmark is a symbol of how mankind’s flaws and imperfections are what make us mortal. The birthmark is Georgiana’s only flaw and was “deeply interwoven” (399) in her skin. Her birthmark shows that no man is perfect, and flaws separate people from the divine. Aylmer’s servant almost seemed to know that Georgiana would die if her scar were to be removed when he said, “if she were my wife, I’d never part with that birthmark” (402). When Alymer and Georgiana begin planning the removal of the birthmark heaven gets brought up many times, and her birthmark is referred to as “the fatal hand” (408), showing that if it is removed she will not survive. Aylmer’s dream almost showed what the future had to hold if Aylmer chooses to remove his wife’s birthmark. The more he tried to cut the hand-shaped birthmark out of her cheek, “the deeper sank the hand” (401), which led to her death.
Alymer is “a …show more content…
Alymer is so focused on being a good scientist and ridding his wife of her single flaw that he does not ever think about the consequences of what will happen when he removes her birthmark. “The purity of Aylmer's quest for perfection is seriously compromised by his desperate need for a sustaining success” (Zanger). Another theme in “The Birthmark” is mortality. Alymer had a dream that his wife died when he took away her birthmark, and when he actually removed her birthmark she died because it was the thing that made her human, and without her flaw she could not
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Birthmark” the themes of mortality and foolishness are seen in the two characters, Alymer and Georgiana. Georgiana’s birthmark and Aylmer’s dream are both symbols that are seen in the story. The birthmark is a symbol of the mortality of mankind. In the story Alymer consistently talks down to his beautiful wife, who causes her to feel bad about herself and makes her want Alymer to fix her.
The birthmark is a symbol of how mankind’s flaws and imperfections are what make us mortal. The birthmark is Georgiana’s only flaw and was “deeply interwoven” (399) in her skin. Her birthmark shows that no man is perfect, and flaws separate people from the divine. Aylmer’s servant almost seemed to know that Georgiana would die if her scar were to be removed when he said, “if she were my wife, I’d never part with that birthmark” (402). When Alymer and Georgiana begin planning the removal of the birthmark heaven gets brought up many times, and her birthmark is referred to as “the fatal hand” (408), showing that if it is removed she will not survive. Aylmer’s dream almost showed what the future had to hold if Aylmer chooses to remove his wife’s birthmark. The more he tried to cut the hand-shaped birthmark out of her cheek, “the deeper sank the hand” (401), which led to her death.
Alymer is “a …show more content…
Alymer is so focused on being a good scientist and ridding his wife of her single flaw that he does not ever think about the consequences of what will happen when he removes her birthmark. “The purity of Aylmer's quest for perfection is seriously compromised by his desperate need for a sustaining success” (Zanger). Another theme in “The Birthmark” is mortality. Alymer had a dream that his wife died when he took away her birthmark, and when he actually removed her birthmark she died because it was the thing that made her human, and without her flaw she could not