“The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a short story about a scientist named Aylmer who tries to make his wife, Georgiana, perfect by removing the birthmark from her face. According to the narrator, the birthmark is not that big of a deal and many think it is nice. However, Aylmer obsesses over the birthmark, saying that is intolerable and must be removed by surgery. Aylmer tries to cut out the birthmark with the consent of Georgiana, but the surgery results in Georgiana’s death. The main characters are Georgiana and Alymer. Alymer will do anything to make Georgiana perfect and Georgiana allows Aylmer to attempt to remove the mark even if it results in death.
The Birthmark is the only imperfection that Georgiana possesses and Aylmer has to have it removed. The purpose of this story is to get the point across that perfection is impossible. The Birthmark was a natural imperfection created by god and nothing in nature is perfect. By attempting to create perfection through science, Aylmer was attempting to “play god” and it ultimately backfired. Hawthorne is saying that imperfections are rampant in everything and we need to find a way to deal with the imperfections. Georgiana tries to explain this concept to Aylmer, “Then why did you take me from my mothers side? You cannot love what shocks you” (204). She is saying that Aylmer should not have married her if he could not get past her one birthmark. Aylmer makes Georgiana very unstable about this birthmark, “While this hateful mark makes me the object of your horror and disgust-life is a burden. Either remove this wretched hand or take my wretched life” (207). She is telling Aylmer to remove the mark regardless of the possibility of death. Hawthorne is also trying to get across that when you try to make things perfect, you ultimately create havoc and consequences follow. “He found this one defect even more intolerable with every moment of their united lives” (205). Aylmer was willing to try anything including a high-risk surgery that could kill his wife in order to make her perfect. Hawthorne clearly shows that perfection is impossible.
One of the main symbols throughout the story is the birthmark on Georgiana’s face. This birthmark is a symbol of imperfection. Everybody has imperfections and Hawthorne shows that we need to deal with these minor issues. Another symbol is Aylmer himself. Aylmer represents a person who is trying to “play god.” He tries to make Georgiana perfect, but in doing so he killed her. One last symbol is the death of Georgiana. The death of Georgiana symbolizes mortality. Her death shows that imperfections are a sign of mortality. If something were perfect, then it would be immoral. The setting is in Aylmer’s lab, and it contributes a lot to the story. It shows the idea of scientists trying to play the role of god. However, Aylmer ultimately fails and this shows that not even the greatest scientists can create perfection.
