Comparing Aylmer And Georgiana In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birth-Mark

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Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birth-Mark” unfolds during the nineteenth century; a time when women had rights unequal to those of men, and were also treated as property without value by their husbands. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s narrative offers a negative portrayal of how men in these patriarchal societies take advantage of the women. “The Birth-Mark” portrays Aylmer and Georgiana in a negative light when Georgiana resembles the patriarchal “good girl,” and surrenders herself to her husband. Readers can distinguish that Aylmer’s obsession to perfect Georgiana mirrors a sexist society where men are unable to accept women as equal or as more than an object.
Aylmer’s vision of perfecting Georgiana reflects the patriarchal image of women, who are reduced to nothing more than objects. Meanwhile, Aylmer’s main focus is himself. He objectifies Georgiana, causing her to become the very picture of a patriarchal “good girl.” Tyson states that such women are “not viewed as independent human beings with their own goals, needs, and desires” (142). Aylmer treats her as someone who should worship him and satisfy his passion for perfection. He treats her as a one-dimensional person, who has no desires of her own. He does this when he fails to consider Georgiana’s desire to keep her birthmark. He tells her …show more content…

He sacrifices his marriage in mortal life, with Georgiana, in order to not only perfect her, but to achieve superficial happiness for his “love of science” (Hawthorne 212). She becomes a scientific object to him that he will experiment on in the continual effort to perfect her. Aylmer is concerned with achieving the creation of immortality by conducting a potion that will perfect his wife. His ego reflects his superficiality and omniscience to achieve the unachievable. Aylmer fails to see past his own aspirations; he fails to realize how much he’s lost from what he’s gained when the outcome results in Georgiana’s

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