Nathaniel Hawthorne is an author that creates stories hard to decipher because there is so much complexity and ambiguity. Nathaniel always made sure that his stories were also hard to reduce to a simple view of life. The individuals he wrote about “suffer from inner conflicts caused by sin, pride, untested innocence, hidden guilt, perverse secrecy, cold intellectuality, and isolation” (314). Nathaniel Hawthorne famous short story “The Birthmark” shows some of these aspects. The main character is named Aylmer has a beautiful young wife named Georgiana. The birthmark Georgiana possesses is a mark of horror from her husband. Aylmer wants to get rid of it and is persistent to perfect nature, which is the cause of Georgiana 's demise. The Main
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Throughout the whole story we get a clear understanding of imperfections in all the characters. At the very end of the story, when the procedures are done, Aylmer says “My peerless pride, it is successful! You are perfect!” (343). Aylmer had created the perfect being, but nothing in this world is perfect which is why this moment does not last very long. It shows that he was an ordinary man pursuing the concept of perfection. But what is the true meaning of being perfect? There is no answer because if something is truly perfect thats it: there is no room for imagination, no space for intelligence or improvement. Some of Georgiana last words were “Do not repent that with so high and pure a feeling, you have rejected the best the earth could offer. Aylmer, dearest Aylmer, I am dying!” (343). To men of science, perfection is a dead end, in this case a literal one. Georgiana died when she is perfect, because if something is truly perfect, that’s it. The magnificent short story “The Birthmark” shows the themes Nathaniel Hawthorne goes for. Hawthorne creates his characters in a fashion to the point where if you look deep enough, you might see some of the character, or characters, in
Throughout the whole story we get a clear understanding of imperfections in all the characters. At the very end of the story, when the procedures are done, Aylmer says “My peerless pride, it is successful! You are perfect!” (343). Aylmer had created the perfect being, but nothing in this world is perfect which is why this moment does not last very long. It shows that he was an ordinary man pursuing the concept of perfection. But what is the true meaning of being perfect? There is no answer because if something is truly perfect thats it: there is no room for imagination, no space for intelligence or improvement. Some of Georgiana last words were “Do not repent that with so high and pure a feeling, you have rejected the best the earth could offer. Aylmer, dearest Aylmer, I am dying!” (343). To men of science, perfection is a dead end, in this case a literal one. Georgiana died when she is perfect, because if something is truly perfect, that’s it. The magnificent short story “The Birthmark” shows the themes Nathaniel Hawthorne goes for. Hawthorne creates his characters in a fashion to the point where if you look deep enough, you might see some of the character, or characters, in