Nathaniel+Hawthorne

The Birthmark By: Nathaniel Hawthorne


 * The Birthmark** is a short story about a scientist named Aylmer who balances his love for science with his love for his wife Georgiana. They recently married and since then all that Aylmer can think about is Georgiana’s birthmark on her left cheek. The mark is crimson red and changes color when she blushes. The mark can be covered up by two fingers and is in the shape of a hand. Aylmer thinks that the mark is her only imperfection and he expresses that to her, but Georgiana thinks it’s a charm. Aylmer has a dream that if they took the birthmark off her, it takes part of her away. Then the next day, they go to a servant named Aminadab and she faints. Aylmer is yelling at Aminadab to continue with the operation and Aminadab thin ks it’s a bad idea.

Georgiana regains consciousness and tells Aylmer to never look at the birthmark again. Aylmer says that she does not need to hide it because it’s her only imperfection. Then Aylmer goes off to create a new potion that will remov**e** her birthmark and how it is the most powerful concoction in the world. Georgiana reads all of his journals and feels more in love with him. She realizes with all good things comes some bad things, or imperfections. Georgiana walks in Aylmer’s laboratory and Aylmer shows her the potion. She drinks the liquid and she falls asleep. While asleep, Aylmer watches closely for changes on Georgiana's cheek. The mark starts to go away and her skin becomes very pale. Aylmer is happy with the success but Georgiana tells her husband that she is sick and is dying. Those were the last words that she tells Aylmer.

**A) "Yes, master, " answered Aminadab, looking intently at the lifeless form of Georgiana; and then he muttered to himself, " If she were my wife, I'd never part with that birthmark." Georgiana's birthmark is not worth removing if it is going to risk her life. In life, sometimes you have to look at the positives and negatives and look at the consequences and see if they're worth the risk. Georgiana's birthmark was her only bad trait and was not work the risk of dying in order to remove it.
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Correlation: The Birthmark was very hard to relate to the period of time because it was in a futuristic setting. During the 1800's there was no cure or medicine that fix any sickness. During present day there still isn't one. Nathaniel Hawthorne was a depressing writer and the Birthmark was a example of this such as when she died. Hawthorne's writing style can related to Edgar Allan Poe's writing style, both authors have dark writing styles.

Reflection: In My opinion, Aylmer deserved what happen to him and Georgiana. He was a greedy person. He killed the one girl he loved just because she had one birthmark that he had to look at. The mark was pretty small and cold be covered with two fingers. If he had really loved her and didn't want her gone, he wouldn't have risked her life in-order to try and remove the birthmark. Today in the world, people risk their lives to try and improve themselves and their appearance. Women get breast implants and have skin changes.