"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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In Hawthorne’s short story‚ "The Birthmark‚" he examines that nature is supposed to be imperfect and cannot be changed. Hawthorne’s main character‚ Aylmer is a static and stock character who does not change and is a mad scientist. He is determined to remove his wive’s birthmark and is in denial that nature is imperfect and not everything can be changed. Hawthorne examines the theme that nature is supposed to be imperfect he shows it through Aylmers thoughts about how nature works. Aylmer is a part
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In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Birth-Mark‚ Aylmer‚ a scientist tries to use science in order to make his wife perfect. She has a birthmark on her left cheek that to him causes him to believe is the only thing that causes her to not be perfect. Nathaniel Hawthorne is trying to stress how people have this cultural necessity for perfection. That perfection is something people must succeed in achieving be it in a passion or even more visually. And that this sort of idealism can never lead to anything well
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In the short story The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ the birthmark on Georgiana’s cheek symbolizes mortality and the imperfection of human nature. According to the story‚ the narrator highlights that everything is flawed in some way‚ emphasizing that this is how nature reminds us that every living thing eventually dies. The hand shaped mark on Georgina’s cheek symbolizes the blemish on every living thing‚ the blemish that makes her mortal: “The crimson hand expressed the ineludible gripe in which
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Men believed they could cure and save all creatures on earth from their flaws and defects. Aylmer in Nathaniel Hawthorne ’s "The Birthmark" is one such character. Aylmer is a scientist who strives for perfection‚ so much so he believes his newly wed wife‚ Georgiana‚ would be the "ideal loveliness" if her birthmark were removed. Stacy Tartar Esch believes the birthmark in the short story is the symbol men ’s incapability to accept women as their equals. Instead‚ men need an ideal vision of what they
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Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Birthmark is a story wrought with potent symbolism and destructive irony. It is the story of a cerebral scientist’s imprudent and superficial endeavor‚ and the all too trusting wife that had faith in him. This short story provides us with a moral allegory and theme that is universally vital through symbolism. The crimson hand-shaped mark bestowed upon the otherwise perfect face of a beautiful woman contains much meaning. Through his use of symbolism‚ Hawthorne addresses the
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Theme in The Birthmark‚ conveyed through Symbolism. (more exciting Title‚ perhaps.) * Nathaniel Hawthorne‚ in his short story * “The Birthmark” (written and published prior to 1843)‚ contains the element of symbolism to present the theme of personal beauty‚ regardless of physical appearance. More specifically‚ he speaks of the appearance of Georgeanna‚ the wife of Aylmer‚ who had a very large birthmark‚ or blemish that appeared upon birth. An Individual is perfect the way they were made‚ and should
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“The Birthmark” What is a birthmark? Webster’s Dictionary states: A birthmark is a blemish or new growth on the skin formed before birth and is usually brown or dark red in color. There is no need to say that it is not a normal part of one’s body‚ a birthmark is just a part of being a human. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famously known short story‚ “‘The Birthmark’‚ tells of a scientist’s passion to overcome what he deems to be the imperfection of nature” (Cassill) and uses the birthmark its self‚ Aylmer’s
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In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark‚” a couple is faced with an unbalanced since of love. The beautiful Georgiana and her husband Aylmer‚ the brilliant scientist‚ are a happy and loved couple‚ except for one flaw. Well to Georgiana it is not a flaw‚ yet to Aylmer it is. He finds Georgiana so beautiful and almost perfect‚ although he believes there is one flaw keeping her away from being flawless‚ which is her birthmark. Her birthmark is in the shape of a tiny hand on the side of her cheek that
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Limbrick English 102 February 13‚ 2011 Instructor – Handy Symbolism Symbolism and other figurative speech in The Birth-mark and The Thing in the Forest Birth – Mark : First and fore-most the birthmark represents the fatal flaw of humanity‚ and that eventually we all fall into sin‚ sorrow‚ decay‚ and death. I think that the birthmark represents the desire for perfection or in this case the lack of. Georgina’s husband found her birthmark to be all consuming blot on her otherwise beautiful face.
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