The Birthmark Analysis - 1198 Words

The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a dark romantic short story based in the nineteenth century. The short story highlights the relationship between Aylmer and Georgiana as well as the dynamics of the different personality types between the two. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Aylmer as well as Georgiana an example of tragic flaws to further the conflict in the story. A tragic flaw is a literary device found within The Birthmark. â€Å"Tragic flaw is a literary device that can be defined as a trait in a character leading to his downfall and the character is often the hero of the literary piece. This trait could be the lack of self-knowledge, lack of judgment and often it is hubris† (Tragic). Tragic flaws derived from Greek tragedies and normally†¦show more content†¦Even Pygmalion, when his sculptured woman assumed life, felt not greater ecstasy then mine will be† (Hawthorne 4). The story of Pygmalion tells a story of a man who made a sculpture of a beautiful woman from ivory, he loved this â€Å"woman† so much that once time when he was praying, the goddess Venus saw how much love he had for it that she turned the statue real (The Story of Pygmalion). This allusion to the poem can show us multiple things about Aylmers character, as well as where he went wrong. Aylmer sees himself as a magical creator, that he can use science to perfect what â€Å"mistakes† nature had made. The reference also reveals a fundamental misunderstanding for Aylmers own scientific experiment, Aylmer is not creating a woman, Aylmer is trying to fix something that has already been made. This reference shows that Aylmers self-regard has blinded himself to the true nature of his experiment. Georgiana is an important character in this story, she not only is the owner of the birthmark that Aylmer sets out to remove, but she also shows us how women in the nineteenth century are treated and how they are supposed to act. â€Å"Women were thought to be more pur e, innocent, and morally superior to men; however, they were also more easily corrupted. More importantly, women who expressed traits or desires contrary to these ideals were ostracized and deemed to have unsexed themselves† (Radek). Women in the nineteenth century were supposed to act passively, women were justShow MoreRelatedSula Birthmark Analysis1007 Words   |  5 PagesThe Birthmark and Sula: Forced Identity Toni Morrison’s novel Sula, examines a wide range of topics, delving particularly into morality, the black female experience, and friendship. The narrative follows childhood best friends, Nel and Sula, as they navigate life in the Bottom, a black community in Ohio. Although inseparable as children, even undivided after accidentally killing a two-year-old boy, they follow divergent paths as adults. Nel leads a life of conformity; Sula does the opposite. AnRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Birthmark 905 Words   |  4 PagesThe Nathaniel Hawthorn story â€Å"The Birthmark† is a about a scientist who strives to fix the imperfections of human nature. Not only does he kill his wife during the process, his attempt to have any control over human nature dies as well. This story is ironic in the way Hawthorne uses his symbolism in his characters to portray. 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In the birthmark AylmerRead MoreThe Birthmark Literary Analysis914 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"The Birthmark†, a short story by Nathanial Hawthorne, the use of the archetypal conflict Nature vs. Science, the character of Damsel in Distress, and the symbol of the Incurable Wound show how easily beauty is overlooked in the endeavor for perfection. The archetypal conflict of Nature vs. Science is shown in Aylmer’s intention to remove the birthmark, nature’s constant reminder of human mortality, from Georgiana’s cheek. Aylmer believed that the birthmark might heighten Georgiana’s beautyRead More Analysis of The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay867 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne Although â€Å"The Birthmark† by Nathaniel Hawthorne was written in the mid-1800s, its themes and ideas are still a part of society today. The 19th century was a time of change, just as this, the millennium, is a time of great change. Hawthorne’s ideas about science, beauty, and life still play a major part in our lives, despite many improvements. Even today, people try to play â€Å"God† and change things that nature has put in place. It’s human curiosity;Read MoreAnalysis Of The Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne1603 Words   |  7 PagesShadow of the Grim â€Å"The Birthmark,† a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, was published in 1843. The story is set around the last century and focuses on a â€Å"man of science† and his wife. The most prominent elements of the story are the inexhaustible use of foreshadowing, symbolism, and the irony of the relationship of Aylmer and Georgiana. â€Å"The Birthmark† is reminiscent of today’s science fiction genre, with mild religious undertones. 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Despite wanting to be perfect, humans also desire the need to love and to be loved in return, which often leads to unhappy, bad, forceful relationships as expressed in â€Å"Living In Sin† by Adrienne Rich. Within our human lives we often desire to be labeled by who and what we are so we can know our place in this world;Read MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Birthmark 1262 Words   |  6 PagesEssay on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story â€Å"The Birthmark† In his celebrated short story â€Å"The Birthmark†, Nathaniel Hawthorne introduces us to Aylmer, the main protagonist of the story, as a man of science and an eminent natural philosopher, who is married to the beautiful Georgina. Despite her exquisite beauty, Georgina had a small defect, present in her cheek in the form of a small red birthmark shaped like a tiny hand. â€Å"Many a desperate swain would have risked life for the privilege of pressingRead MoreEssay about Analysis of quot;The Birthmarkquot;963 Words   |  4 Pagesbeing perfect in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Birthmark. This short story is about a devoted scientist who marries a beautiful woman with a single physical flaw; a birthmark on her face. Aylmer becomes obsessed with the imperfection and needs to remove it, to be happy with his wife. The tale evolves around his progressive frenzy to use his scientific skills to render his bride perfect. Only imperfection is what nearsighted Aylmer sees in the birthmark on Georgianas cheek. But he is unfortunately