Famous writer George Bernard Shaw once claimed, “Science never solves a problem without creating ten more.” I can see some truth in this statement. In “The Birthmark” Aylmer’s experiments are proof that oftentimes science comes at a price and may cause more harm than good when approached incorrectly. Scientists can become obsessed with results and lose sight of the issues caused by particular experiments or discoveries. Nathanial Hawthorne emphasizes this major flaw in scientist Aylmer. Even though his wife, Georgiana, is gorgeous, Aylmer cannot see past her miniscule birthmark. She eventually gives in after much emotional abuse from him and allows him to perform a procedure to remove the birthmark. He did not care about the dangers involved
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Aylmer did this while tending to his wife before her procedure. He basically kept her in a cage until the time of her procedure. He also gave her a drug without her knowing, she thought it was merely fragrance. It made an odd sensation in her birthmark. Nathaniel Hawthorne describes, “She had forgotten to inform Aylmer of a symptom which for two or three hours past had begun to excite her attention. It was a sensation in the fatal birthmark, not painful, but which induced a restlessness throughout her system.” In the medical field today, the patient must know what is happening to them beforehand. This is a basic rule of ethics and is a major deal in patient’s rights. However, since Aylmer was experimenting on his own wife, there was no one else there to tell him he was treating her unethically. Science is not a bad thing by any means. However, the perspective a scientist may assume can be a very bad thing. In “The Birthmark” Aylmer takes the wrong point of view when looking at science as a whole, valuing it more than even his wife. When a scientist, or anyone else in general, gets completely engrossed in their work they will have to make sacrifices. These sacrifices oftentimes are as simple as spare time spent with the family or no longer having a hobby. Aylmer, however, took his sacrifice to the
Aylmer did this while tending to his wife before her procedure. He basically kept her in a cage until the time of her procedure. He also gave her a drug without her knowing, she thought it was merely fragrance. It made an odd sensation in her birthmark. Nathaniel Hawthorne describes, “She had forgotten to inform Aylmer of a symptom which for two or three hours past had begun to excite her attention. It was a sensation in the fatal birthmark, not painful, but which induced a restlessness throughout her system.” In the medical field today, the patient must know what is happening to them beforehand. This is a basic rule of ethics and is a major deal in patient’s rights. However, since Aylmer was experimenting on his own wife, there was no one else there to tell him he was treating her unethically. Science is not a bad thing by any means. However, the perspective a scientist may assume can be a very bad thing. In “The Birthmark” Aylmer takes the wrong point of view when looking at science as a whole, valuing it more than even his wife. When a scientist, or anyone else in general, gets completely engrossed in their work they will have to make sacrifices. These sacrifices oftentimes are as simple as spare time spent with the family or no longer having a hobby. Aylmer, however, took his sacrifice to the