Puritan Influences In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Writing

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing is very distinguishable because of the themes, symbols, and motifs in his pieces of writing. His life was greatly influenced by the Puritan legacy because of where he was born, so a lot of his writing incorporates ideas about Puritanism. More precisely, a lot of Hawthorne’s writings involve sin and are morally serious. Two of his short stories, “The Birthmark” and “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment,” do not directly deal with Puritanism, but they do involve a number of other distinct motifs that Hawthorne is known for. “The Birthmark” is about a scientist named Aylmer who has a beautiful wife, Georgiana. Aylmer adores Georgiana, but the woman has one physical flaw that becomes an obsession for Aylmer. A birthmark, in the shape of a tiny hand, is imprinted on Georgiana’s cheek. For the
Heidegger’s Experiment” is another short story that involves a scientist and the idea of trying to rid imperfections. Dr. Heidegger invites three elderly people to join him in his experiment of youth. He presents a liquid that will supposedly make a living creature become young again. The three elderly people drink the liquid and they feel as if their inhibitions are gone. They feel young and happy, but the feeling soon ends when they accidentally spill the liquid onto the floor. Dr. Heidegger’s experiment proves that if someone has a second chance to become young again, he or she will make the same mistakes again. There are obvious similarities and differences between the two short stories. One similarity is that both stories are centered around men of science. The main character of “The Birthmark” is a scientist named Aylmer and the main character of “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” is a scientist named Dr. Heidegger. In both stories, the scientists execute their experiments and achieve the outcomes that they hope to achieve. Aylmer successfully removes the birthmark from his wife’s face and Dr. Heidegger observes the actions of the four elderly