The Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne

“The Birthmark” written by Nathaniel Hawthorne looks into the mind of a man obsessed with natural beauty. Aylmer is an outgoing, brilliant scientist, who believes that man should have the ultimate governing over nature. Therefore, he believes that a man should be able to do anything. His unwarranted fixation with his wife’s being perfect in order to love her, made her preoccupied about her beauty as well. Aylmer’s wife Georgiana became so grieved about her birthmark she said "Remove this dreadful hand, or take my wretched life"(Hawthorne). Aylmer, the scientist who loves his wife deeply, but cannot get over this one little imperfection that is on his wife’s cheek. Aylmer was an egotistical individual whose single aim is to make his wife flawless for his personal sake or maybe for science’s. After their marriage, he becomes increasingly obsessed with the
Scientist and doctors work every day to find ways to make changes to the human body. Scientist finds ways to remove wrinkles from around eyes; remove dark spots from the skin, sprays and creams to lighting or darkening the skin, even oral medication to remove acne from the skin. However, doctors have more of an instant approach to making changes to the body, like the immediate alteration Aylmer tried to produce in Georgiana. There are doctors who are called plastic surgeons. Plastic surgeons alter through surgery, by giving facelifts, tummy tucks, or liposuction. "From an artistic point of view, Aylmer also represents a Pygmalion or modern-day plastic surgeon, creating or recreating a woman as if she were a statue he is sculpting"(Balestrini). In the past, Aylmer has had many unsuccessful experiments, but this time he felt that nothing would go wrong. "Unless all my science have deceived me, it cannot fail"(Hawthorne). In the end Aylmer arrogance and need for perfection led to Georgiana ultimate