Symbolism In The Birthmark

“The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a short story dealing with a mans urge to perfect his wife. The story starts off with a scientist that meets his wife, Georgiana, who is near to perfection. The only thing that holds Aylmer from viewing Georgiana as perfect is a red, hand-shaped birthmark on her left cheek. In the short story “The Birthmark,” Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism, tone, and allusions to show the importance of Georgiana and her birthmark.
In the story, Hawthorne uses symbolism to emphasize the importance of Georgiana’s character and her birthmark. The author begins to describe Georgiana’s “singular mark” that “wore a tint of deeper crimson, which imperfectly defined its shape amid the surrounding rosiness.” (8) Georgiana’s
crimson-colored birthmark symbolizes Aylmer’s desire to perfect his wife. In Aylmer’s eyes, Georgiana’s imperfections drove Aylmer to use his talents to convince and create a potion that could eliminate the birthmark. Georgiana never once thought of her birthmark as an imperfection, instead her simplicity made her believe that her birthmark was actually a “charm.” (4) Georgiana’s birthmark also symbolized humility. This is shown when Hawthorne says “ Georgiana's lovers were wont to say that some fairy at her birth hour had laid her tiny hand upon the infant's cheek, and left this impress there in token of the magic endowments that were to give her such sway over all hearts.” (7)