Nathaniel Hawthorne and Sidonie-Gabrielle Collette’s Hand Symbol Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” and Sidonie-Gabrielle Collette’s “The Hand” use a hand to symbolize two different themes, both of which are still completely relevant to modern society and today’s world. Nathaniel Hawthorne's manipulates a hand to represent a theme of perfection not being able to exist in this world of flaws and shows this by making the hand be represented as “imperfection” said by Aylmer, the husband (Hawthorne). One can also see the hand symbolize Georgiana and Aylmer’s marriage. Sidonie-Gabrielle Collette uses a hand to show, the theme, forcing love is disgusting. The hand of the husband makes the wife think of her marriage, which is new and scary
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“The Birthmark” uses the hand to symbolize flaws and imperfection by being a birthmark on a young wife’s face; her husband, Aylmer, even says “to term a defect or a beauty” (Hawthorne). Georgiana’s husband, Aylmer, believes if he removes this “hand” birthmark, his wife would then be perfect in every way. Adoring her husband and also getting used to the idea of the birthmark making her a “visible mark of earthly imperfection" as well, Georgiana goes along with Aylmer’s obsession and allows him to remove the birthmark from her cheek. Aylmer tries several experiments on his wife, and soon Georgiana was obsessing over the removal as well, calling her birthmark “fatal”, “ a cureless deformity”, and a “stain” (Hawthorne). Georgiana keeps allowing Aylmer to do experiments on her; even when he says this last attempt is dangerous she states “let the attempt be made at whatever risk” (Hawthorne). Finally Aylmer says, “My peerless bride, it is successful! You are perfect!" (Hawthorne). In spite of this, Georgiana soon replies with …show more content…
The hand symbolizes the couple’s marriage as the wife watches the hand of her husband as he sleeps. During the time the husband was asleep, the newlywed was observing his hand, thinking of their recent marriage. At first the wife was full of excitement about everything, “"Too happy to sleep," she thinks to herself, this is the reason the wife starts watching her husband’s hand. As she watches the hand she realizes it is unfamiliar and “all by itself and far away from its owner” (Hawthorne). The husband is unfamiliar also, someone she had met only a month ago. The hand begins to twitch as if “An electric jolt ran through the hand” (Hawthorne). The wife is beginning to panic, thinking maybe he will be abusive like many other men of this time. As she keeps observing the hand she begins thinking about “this startling discovery, this disgust”, so masculine and unknown. The hand represents the marriage because the marriage disgust the wife too, marrying someone she barely knows disgusts her. Feeling forced to stay in this marriage due to the strangling of the sheets, she goes along with it “happily” and actually “humbly kissed the monstrous hand” the next morning. The theme of “The Hand” is forced love is disgusting, and the hand (marriage) is this
“The Birthmark” uses the hand to symbolize flaws and imperfection by being a birthmark on a young wife’s face; her husband, Aylmer, even says “to term a defect or a beauty” (Hawthorne). Georgiana’s husband, Aylmer, believes if he removes this “hand” birthmark, his wife would then be perfect in every way. Adoring her husband and also getting used to the idea of the birthmark making her a “visible mark of earthly imperfection" as well, Georgiana goes along with Aylmer’s obsession and allows him to remove the birthmark from her cheek. Aylmer tries several experiments on his wife, and soon Georgiana was obsessing over the removal as well, calling her birthmark “fatal”, “ a cureless deformity”, and a “stain” (Hawthorne). Georgiana keeps allowing Aylmer to do experiments on her; even when he says this last attempt is dangerous she states “let the attempt be made at whatever risk” (Hawthorne). Finally Aylmer says, “My peerless bride, it is successful! You are perfect!" (Hawthorne). In spite of this, Georgiana soon replies with …show more content…
The hand symbolizes the couple’s marriage as the wife watches the hand of her husband as he sleeps. During the time the husband was asleep, the newlywed was observing his hand, thinking of their recent marriage. At first the wife was full of excitement about everything, “"Too happy to sleep," she thinks to herself, this is the reason the wife starts watching her husband’s hand. As she watches the hand she realizes it is unfamiliar and “all by itself and far away from its owner” (Hawthorne). The husband is unfamiliar also, someone she had met only a month ago. The hand begins to twitch as if “An electric jolt ran through the hand” (Hawthorne). The wife is beginning to panic, thinking maybe he will be abusive like many other men of this time. As she keeps observing the hand she begins thinking about “this startling discovery, this disgust”, so masculine and unknown. The hand represents the marriage because the marriage disgust the wife too, marrying someone she barely knows disgusts her. Feeling forced to stay in this marriage due to the strangling of the sheets, she goes along with it “happily” and actually “humbly kissed the monstrous hand” the next morning. The theme of “The Hand” is forced love is disgusting, and the hand (marriage) is this