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

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

that her birthmark will be removed, reducing Georgiana’s worth based on her appearance. The birthmark becomes the central focus for Aylmer’s goals which demonstrates the importance of physical appearance in the patriarchal society.
Furthermore, Aylmer initially marries Georgiana because she is beautiful and mesmerizing to his eyes. The narrator says that he “[persuaded] a beautiful woman to become his wife,” (Hawthorne 211) implying that her inner personality was not as significant as her outer appearance. He objectifies her as being a prize he won through persuasion, a prize which he displays in his home. Through this thought, he is objectifying because it appears as if she is a commodity of his, and there is nothing more than Georgiana’s beauty. Now that he’s won her, he starts to analyze her by focusing on her imperfections. That is, after they were married, Aylmer becomes obsessed with the hand-shaped birthmark on Georgiana’s left cheek. Aylmer contests that she has “[come] so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature, that this slightest possible defect, which [they] hesitate whether to term a defect or a beauty, shocks [him], as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection” (Hawthorne 212). To him, the birthmark ruins her whole complexity no matter how beautiful she truly is. The birthmark symbolizes nature and its imperfections and Aylmer plans to fix this defect of hers that nature has bestowed. Georgiana’s birthmark symbolizes the patriarchal image of women during the nineteenth century because such women were to be attractive and good-looking.
Over time, the birthmark becomes a sacrifice that Aylmer makes.

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

death.
Aylmer affects Georgiana’s self-image, causing her to abandon her sense of self and to succumb to Aylmer’s desires. Georgiana fulfills her patriarchal gender role “in every way” because she is “fragile, [and] submissive” (Tyson 144).Georgiana is overwhelmed by Aylmer’s stare and commentary, wherein he makes her his project of perfection. When Georgiana and Aylmer sit together, “his eyes wandered stealthily to her cheek, and beheld, flickering with the blaze of the wood-fire, the spectral hand that wrote mortality where he would fain have worshipped,” and, through, this she “learned to shudder at his gaze” (Hawthorne 214). Georgiana cannot stand the disgrace she brought to Aylmer, so she starts to wither inside. She wants the acceptance that she thought her husband gave her before they married. Georgiana used to see her birthmark as a unique beauty, but, now, “Whenever she dared to look into the mirror, she beheld herself pale as a white rose [,] with the crimson birth-mark stamped upon her cheek. Not even Aylmer now hated it [as] much as she” (Hawthorne 220). She has lost her self-worth and her self-esteem because of Aylmer’s verbal abuse towards her birthmark. Her only desire is Aylmer’s obsession to dispose of it, because she has learned to hate it as much as he. Georgiana exclaims that “—life is a burden which I would fling down with joy. Either remove this dreadful hand, or take my wretched life! You have deep science (Hawthorne 215). Georgiana’s willingness to give up her birthmark characterizes her as a woman who was not only fragile, but as a woman who did not have much self-worth originally. If she had a more stable sense of self, she would not have crumbled as quickly.
The relationship between Aylmer and Georgiana displays a sexist society where women are treated as if they are inferior to men, where women like Georgiana will always be at a disadvantage because they submit to traditional gender roles. She acts as any wife during this century would act and puts her full trust in her husband. In this effort she is willing to give up her own life in response to her husband’s happiness. She acts as if she is inferior to Aylmer because she complies with his decision to remove her birthmark. This idea emulates the sexist belief of individuals “—which cast men as decision makers and women as dutiful followers” and additionally parallels to the idea that “men’s innate superiority dictates that they should be in charge” (Tyson 143). Aylmer pushes Georgiana to let him determine the removal of her birthmark because he is her husband and his decisions dictate her own. He also makes her feel less intelligent when she questions his reason for trying to possess such power. He disregards the question, and answers saying: “O, do not tremble, my love, I would not wrong either you or myself by working such inharmonious effects upon our lives; but I would have you consider how trifling, in comparison, is the skill requisite to remove this little hand” (Hawthorne 218). In his mind, he has enough knowledge and sense of what he’s doing, and he cannot see how it could possibly fail. Once more this proves the nature that women such as Georgiana, are essentially inferior to men such as Aylmer.
In brief, readers can grasp that Aylmer’s obsession with perfecting Georgiana imitates the patriarchal society of the nineteenth century. Georgiana is obedient to Aylmer, so she surrenders herself to his “goals, needs, and desires.” Georgiana acts as the patriarchal “good girl” and portrays women as unequal objects to men in society. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birth-Mark” presents the negative depiction of men and women in the patriarchal society. It illustrates that perfecting imperfections are impossible unless sacrifices are made; Aylmer sacrifices Georgiana for his success in science and happiness with her, while Georgiana selflessly sacrifices herself for Aylmer’s happiness. As readers can see, his love for her is inferior to his passion for science.