Nathaniel Hawthorne's Birthmark
Nathaniel Hawthorne, writer of �The Birthmark�, included dark romanticism elements in his text. This tale focuses on a scientist named Aylmer, who is married to Georgina. Aylmer�s ultimate goal is to removes Georgina�s hand shaped birthmark on her cheek. Eventually, he invents a potion, which led to the removal of Georgina�s birthmark; unfortunately it also leads to Georgina�s death. The elements of dark romanticism are clearly portrayed in this tale, yet the question is raised whether Hawthorne successfully portrayed the allegory of Georgiana�s birthmark, and his portrayal of the characters� traits will be crucial in the critical examination of whether this allegory is strong enough for ...
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the �birthmark� physically signifies �flaw� or �imperfection, it is symbolically pointing to human�s flaws which are natural and can become beautiful in their context. Yet, to Aylmer, who privileged the mind, it signifies sin. This is to say, he thought about it as a flaw that indicated the human capacity to sin. On the other hand, to Aminabad, who was Aylmer�s helper, Georgina�s birthmark signifies beauty, difference or a sort of originality. In this tale, Aminabad was the only character that thought of the birthmark as a beautiful ornament in Georgiana�s body; for him it symbolizes more than beauty but actually nature�s beauty.
Mother Nature is a common personification of nature that focuses on the life giving and nurturing features of nature by embodying it in the form of the mother . This female personification of nature is timeless. Thought prehistoric, history goddesses were worshipped for their association with fertility, fecundity, and agricultural bounty. In Nathaniel ...
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the power of science, and also humans� (i.e. men) constant attempt to control and challenge nature. Contradictory to these themes, the hand shaped �birthmark� ultimately represents the power of nature having a direct hand in every living thing or any object, especially on a �flaw�. Hawthorne�s use of symbolism, explicitly through the �birthmark� symbol and his portrayal of each character trait, demonstrates how his use of the allegory throughout the short story supports the idea of imperfection being natural, thus beautiful.
Aylmer�s fixation on Georgiana�s birthmark started soon after their wedding. One day, while Aylmer was gazing at Georgiana�s �flaw�, which he could not bear ...
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"Nathaniel Hawthorne's Birthmark." Essayworld.com. April 19, 2011. Accessed November 28, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Nathaniel-Hawthornes-Birthmark/98183.
"Nathaniel Hawthorne's Birthmark." Essayworld.com. April 19, 2011. Accessed November 28, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Nathaniel-Hawthornes-Birthmark/98183.
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