Response Paper #2: "The Birthmark" 1. Our society tends to be obsessed with the idea of physical perfection. How does our society manifest that obsession? How is the "Birthmark" an early version of our modern obsession with physical perfection? Our society has many ways of manifesting its obsession with physical perfection. In our society people go to extreme lengths to achieve perfection. The "Birthmark"‚ written more than a century ago‚ is an early
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Symbolism in "The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne American lit. November 2012 In the Story‚ The Birthmark‚ has a lot to say on human nature‚ but its most important maintenance is that to be human is necessarily to be flawed. To strive for perfection is to deny one’s own mortality‚ to deny what makes us human‚ and to achieve such perfection is impossible. The story seems to argue that part of us are earthbound‚ but part of us will always seek to be spiritual. In the story‚ The birthmark refers to the
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Morin 2 The story “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is the foolishness of striving for perfection. The author uses several elements of fiction to express this theme. He starts by giving a brief summary about who the main characters are. Aylmer is a very smart man who has a love of science. He’s into the spiritual world but it tends to be disturbing. He believes that he is able to perform miracles. Aylmer has invented potions that are capable of instantly killing a person or killing them in
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in your own skin it will shine in your personality and attract the right people. It shows us the cruel things we do to ourselves just to fit into society. If we don’t look as the society pleases then kids get bullied just like Georgiana in The Birthmark. She is one of the most beautiful women
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knowledgeable Aylmer is‚ and the narrator even suggests that he may have the power to alter nature. " We know not whether Aylmer possesses this degree of faith in man ’s ultimate control over nature (Birthmark‚ 1262 )."As Aylmer tries to use science to alter nature‚ or in this case‚ the birthmark on his wife ’s cheek‚ his plan backfires and his wife dies. The death of Georgiana shows that knowledge is dangerous if used in the wrong way. The influence of the evolution of culture has caused men
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is why Nature ultimately has the final say in what can and cannot existence. In “The Birthmark”‚ Hawthorne suggests that nothing and no one is perfect nor has the ability to obtain said perfection. An obsession to surpass Earthly Nature can and will result in the destruction of what was once loved. Human beings have a natural desire to be perfect‚ but in reality perfection is unattainable. Throughout “The Birthmark”‚ Georgiana is constantly confronted with the fact that she bares the “visible mark
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In examining the struggle of science vs. nature‚ we must first analyze each story by itself‚ and recognize its relationship. First‚ in looking at “The Birthmark”‚ we can see that science and nature/love are intertwined through the correctional habits that Aylmer possesses‚ the way that the birthmark could actually be seen through as more personal light‚ where Hawthorne is commenting on the way that society wants to advance‚ as well as the way that society as well as he perceives the process of menstruation
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"The Birthmark" by Hawthorne is a short fiction that warns readers to take a second thought towards pursuing physical perfection. Throughout the story‚ Hawthorne uses a great deal of symbolism. These symbols in Hawthorne’s "Birthmark" not only foreshadow the outcome of the story but also reinforce the theme significantly. The birthmark in the story is a tiny‚ hand-shaped imperfection on Georgiana’s cheek. This tiny mark on Georgiana’s cheek may seem to be charming by others. However‚ to her husband
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“The Birthmark” The short story “The Birthmark”‚ by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ tells the story of a scientist‚ his wife‚ and a unique birthmark that flaws the near perfect face of his wife. Through this story Hawthorne is trying to get a message across to the audience; sometimes‚ man is too eager to repair natural imperfections that may exist using science‚ rather than seeing these imperfections as beautiful natural occurrences‚ which will eventually lead to the destruction of nature. To get this
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The Birthmark and The Eye of the Beholder The feminine beauty ideal is "the socially constructed notion that physical attractiveness is one of women’s most important assets‚ and something all women should strive to achieve and maintain". Is there true beauty or is it all just a cultural construct? “The Birthmark” and “The Eye of the Beholder” both provide treatments of beauty and perfection by showcasing a woman’s struggles to reach societies standards. Although the core meaning of the texts are
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