Psychoanalysis Of Aylmer In The Birthmark

Psychoanalysis of Aylmer in “The Birthmark”
In pop culture, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is often used as a synonym for a “neat-freak” or Type-A perfectionist. However, the roots of this mental disorder originate in the human psyche. According to Dr. Wayne Goodman, a professor of Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, “The symptoms of OCD symbolize the patient's unconscious struggle for control over drives that are unacceptable at a conscious level.” Because literature is often a reflection of the attitudes and emotions felt in reality, fictional characters, like us, are not immune to disorders such as OCD. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark,” Aylmer experiences obsessive-compulsive disorder as a result
of his overbearing id, flawed ego, and defunct superego.
As explained by Freudian thinking, the id is the part of the human psyche that seeks the satisfaction of basic needs without considering other factors. In individuals diagnosed with OCD, the id strives to satisfy the basic need of ridding the individual of his source of anxiety. The actions caused by the id are known as compulsions (Goodman). For an individual to be diagnosed with OCD, their compulsions and obsessions must significantly interfere with normal life (“Appendix 15…”). In “The Birthmark,” Aylmer’s overbearing id pushes him to crave and attempt removing Georgiana’s birthmark without considering other factors. For example, because of his obsessive-compulsive behavior, he is unable to see Georgiana’s beauty. All he ever sees is the small birthmark. He views the mark as a horrible flaw, which is evident when he says to Georgiana, “‘No, dearest Georgiana, you came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature that this slightest possible defect… shocks me, as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection...’” (Hawthorne, 219). This obsession interferes with his daily life, making the “hideous” birthmark the only thing occupying his mind for months. In turn, Georgiana’s feelings and self-confidence are hurt. In response to Aylmer’s “convulsive shudders” and mania throughout the story, Georgiana once faints, and even exclaims “‘Then why did you take me from my mother’s side? You cannot love what shocks you!’” (Hawthorne, 219). Aylmer’s id also makes him oblivious to the fact that his hatred of the mark eventually makes Georgiana miserable enough to willingly sacrifice her own life to get rid of the mark (Hawthorne, 222). As a result of his id, Aylmer does not take into account the complexity of removing his wife’s physical flaw or her distress at his need to do so. His OCD pushes him to only seek the removal of his source of anxiety: the birthmark.
In addition to the id, the ego plays a critical role in decision making.
This part of the human psyche is meant to balance both the cravings of the id and the reality of the present situation. The ego takes into account other factors while the id focuses on primal needs. Individuals with OCD often lack this self-assessment factor and need to have a third person validating their ego (Bürgy). For Aylmer, his own ego isn’t strong enough to make him realize the consequences of his obsessive actions and he seeks Georgiana’s validation for his attempts at removing her birthmark. This is evident in Georgiana’s attempt at reassuring Aylmer with her dying breath. She says, “‘...you aimed loftily; you have done nobly. Do not repent that with so high and pure a feeling, you have rejected the best the earth could offer...I am dying!’” (Hawthorne, 237). Aylmer’s flawed ego also becomes clear through his defense mechanisms of rationalization and intellectualization (Bürgy). Because of his OCD, he is unable to rid himself of his infatuation with removing Georgiana’s birthmark grows more intolerable of the mark each day. His ego uses rationalization to make this obsession feel acceptable, and this is evident when Aylmer’s psyche begins to identify the birthmark as an evil entity with a dangerous grip on Georgiana. Hawthorne explains this when he says, “...Aylmer’s somber imagination was not long in rendering the birthmark a frightful object…” (221). Aylmer also uses intellectualization to
create a falsified scientific and righteous basis for his actions. He completely throws himself into the removal of the birthmark (218) to a point where he sees Georgiana while working and criticizes her, the muse of the experiment, for interrupting him. Aylmer says, “‘Have you no trust in your husband?...Would you throw the blight of that fatal birthmark over my labors?” (233). As a result of this highly dysfunctional ego and these irrational defense mechanisms, the conflict of “The Birthmark” quickly becomes Aylmer’s struggle with his OCD and its effects on his loved ones.
After Aylmer’s awareness of his thoughts and actions have crossed both his id and ego, they reach his superego.
The superego of the psyche acts as a conscience and dictates right from wrong. In cases of OCD, the superego is close to nonexistent when it comes to satisfying an obsession (Bürgy). For Aylmer, his defunct superego becomes clear through his utter lack of ethics. He doesn’t realize that it is wrong to try to play God by removing Georgiana’s natural born flaw, as expressed by Georgiana when she says, “‘It is terrible to possess such power, or even to dream of possessing it.’” (Hawthorne, 228). Nathaniel Hawthorne also uses a foil character to emphasize Aylmer’s flawed conscience. On page 225 of “The Birthmark,” Aylmer’s assistant, Aminadab, says “‘If she were my wife, I’d never part with that birthmark.’” This phrase represents an attempt at showing Aylmer right from wrong, and unfortunately, goes unnoticed by Aylmer. Another interpretation is that Aylmer’s superego causes him to be self-centered regarding the situations that prevent him from getting what he wants. For example, it can be inferred from the story that Aylmer is trying to reach a God-like state, the highest level of spirituality possible, with the help of Georgiana. But because of the mark, he feels she can’t reach this level, and as a result, he won’t be able to either (Richards, 2). Aylmer may also feel that this experiment and the successful removal of Georgiana’s birthmark may be able to mend his
past failures in scientific research (Richards, 2). In essence, he uses the removal of Georgiana’s birthmark to restore his spirituality and scientific success. However, at the end of the story, Aylmer begins to feel guilty about his actions. Hawthorne explains, “...Aylmer sat in his wife’s presence with a guilty feeling… until now he had not been aware of the tyrannizing influence acquired by one idea over his mind…” (222). However, Aylmer’s superego ultimately does not prevent him from attempting to remove Georgiana’s birthmark, and as a result, killing her.
Throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark,” Aylmer’s struggle with OCD is emphasized and its effects on the people around and involved with him are seen. His obsession with a small birthmark on his wife’s cheek tortures him for months before leading him astray in attempting to remove it and allowing him to succumb to his disorder. With the culmination of his OCD, flawed psyche, and resulting actions, he causes the death of his beautiful wife, Georgiana. In brief, Hawthorne brings a debilitating disorder of the human psyche to life through the difficulties and situation of his character, Aylmer.