Symbolism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Birth-Mark'
Olivia Seeney
ENGL 202 Lit of US: Beginning- CivWar
10/14/15
The Birth-Mark “No, dearest Georgiana, you came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature, that this is the slightest possible defect- which we hesitate whether to term a defect or a beauty- shocks me, as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection (Hawthorne 645).” Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birth-Mark” uses symbolism to explore the stain of sin on the world and in the individual. Georgiana is the picture of pure perfection, with one exception, a hand shaped birthmark on her left cheek. There are many themes in this piece. They include, the mark of sin brought in the world and the inability for a human to cleanse themselves from sin. Another theme in this story is the necessary imperfection within people. Each of the characters in “The Birth-Mark” are appalled by the imperfection on the surface. But are unaware of the imperfection within themselves. Hawthorne’s “The Birth-Mark” examines the sinful nature of the world and mankind’s desire to remove it from the surface. The birth-mark is used by Hawthorne to symbolize the stain of …show more content…
He practiced alchemy and was very learned in various crafts. Aylmer tries to use science and his vast knowledge to remove the imperfection from his wife. He tries to be like God and remove the one thing that is making her imperfect. Ultimately, his thirst for knowledge and power corrupts him and destroys the one that he cared about. If Aylmer had been content with the knowledge he had already obtained and had refrained from using it for selfish purposes, his wife may have lived. This story teaches the reader that a wrongful pursuit of knowledge to the destruction of the self and those around them. It is impossible for a human to be like God because only he can remove sin from
ENGL 202 Lit of US: Beginning- CivWar
10/14/15
The Birth-Mark “No, dearest Georgiana, you came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature, that this is the slightest possible defect- which we hesitate whether to term a defect or a beauty- shocks me, as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection (Hawthorne 645).” Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birth-Mark” uses symbolism to explore the stain of sin on the world and in the individual. Georgiana is the picture of pure perfection, with one exception, a hand shaped birthmark on her left cheek. There are many themes in this piece. They include, the mark of sin brought in the world and the inability for a human to cleanse themselves from sin. Another theme in this story is the necessary imperfection within people. Each of the characters in “The Birth-Mark” are appalled by the imperfection on the surface. But are unaware of the imperfection within themselves. Hawthorne’s “The Birth-Mark” examines the sinful nature of the world and mankind’s desire to remove it from the surface. The birth-mark is used by Hawthorne to symbolize the stain of …show more content…
He practiced alchemy and was very learned in various crafts. Aylmer tries to use science and his vast knowledge to remove the imperfection from his wife. He tries to be like God and remove the one thing that is making her imperfect. Ultimately, his thirst for knowledge and power corrupts him and destroys the one that he cared about. If Aylmer had been content with the knowledge he had already obtained and had refrained from using it for selfish purposes, his wife may have lived. This story teaches the reader that a wrongful pursuit of knowledge to the destruction of the self and those around them. It is impossible for a human to be like God because only he can remove sin from