The Birthmark, a Short Story about a Scientist Written by...

â€Å"The Birthmark† is a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne that tells the story of a scientist who is obsessed with an imperfection his wife holds, a small red birthmark on her cheek, and his concern with removing it. The story explores a few different themes such as science, gratitude, stereotypes and mortality. â€Å"The Birthmark† portrays that imperfection is a necessary aspect in humans and if perfection exists, it will not last long. In the story, a scientist, Aylmer, marries a beautiful woman named Georgiana. Georgiana has a small red birthmark on her cheek and although most men find the birthmark to be a unique and attractive feature, Aylmer sees it as â€Å"the visible mark of earthly imperfection. He believes that if the mark was not on her face, she would be absolutely flawless, which hurts Georgiana terribly to know that her husband does not accept her for who she is. One day she raises the subject of removing the birthmark to her husband, which t hrills him and he admits that he has already concocted a few possible plans to remove it. When the time comes, Aylmer brings the very nervous Georgiana into his lab. She becomes pale with fear, which causes her birthmark to stand out, and Aylmer peers at her with disgust, causing her to faint. Aminidab, Aylmer’s servant, is strong in a physical nature, but not wise. He has been Aylmer’s servant for years, and helps Aylmer bring Georgiana into the lab while thinking to himself that if Georgiana were his wife, he wouldShow MoreRelatedThe Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay1399 Words   |  6 PagesThe Birthmark Criticism Analysis The short story â€Å"The Birthmark† by Nathaniel Hawthorne was written in 1843 at the beginning of the largest feminist movement in the United States of America which occurred between the years 1840 and 1920 (National). 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Henry Seidel Canby in â€Å"A Skeptic Incompatible with His Time and His Past† talks about the value of Hawthorne’s â€Å"literary psychology†: This irreverent generation [of the 1950’s] has mocked atRead MoreThe Birthmark: A Psychological Short Story Essay3606 Words   |  15 Pagesâ€Å"The Birthmark† Is a Psychological Story  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   The psychological dimension of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing, typical of his best short stories, is well demonstrated in his tale â€Å"The Birthmark.†    Frederick C. Crews in â€Å"The Logic of Compulsion in ‘Roger Malvin’s Burial’† explores the psychological drama that prevails in Hawthorne’s short stories:    . . . I chose this one tale to analyze because it illustrates the indispensability, and I should even say the priority