In Nathaniel Hawthorne's “The Birthmark” and The Twilight Zone’s episode of “The Eye of the Beholder,” two writers exemplify how science and society dictate perceptions of beauty standards. Nevertheless, the two authors use different literary devices to convey their message. While Hawthorne uses symbolism, imagery, and foreshadowing to show the binary between science and nature and how that affects beauty standards to women in society, The Twilight Zone uses irony and allegory to show how beauty is all perspective.
First Body Paragraph:
Topic Sentence: The dramatic and tragic nature of “The Birthmark” is partially created by symbolism.
Literary Technique 1: The symbolism of the crimson hand mark shows Aylmer's struggle as a scientist to
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control nature. (Support) Quote: “The fatal hand had grappled with the mystery of life, and was the bond by which an angelic spirit kept itself in union with a mortal frame.
As the last crimson tint of the birthmark—that sole token of human imperfection—faded from her cheek, the parting breath of the now perfect woman passed into the atmosphere, and her soul, lingering a moment near her husband, took its heavenward flight.”
Connection to Theme: This symbol of crimson hand on Georgiana’s cheek shows how her beauty from nature is beyond Aylmer's control. Her almost angelic nature makes Aylmer question her beauty and she becomes a project for him to “fix”.
Literary Technique 2: Hawthorne uses imagery of the crimson hand show Aylmer's obsession with perfection and his downfall.
(Support) Quote: “Georgiana's left cheek there was a singular mark, deeply interwoven, as it were, with the texture and substance of her face. In the usual state of her complexion—a healthy though delicate bloom—the mark wore a tint of deeper crimson, which imperfectly defined its shape amid the surrounding rosiness. When she blushed it gradually became more indistinct, and finally vanished amid the triumphant rush of blood that bathed the whole cheek with its brilliant
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glow.” Connection to Theme: His obsession with her birthmark causes him to want to “fix” the part of her that he doesn’t find beautiful.
Literary Technique 3: Lastly, Hawthorne uses foreshadowing to set up the story and allude to its tragic end.
(Support) Quote: “, it was not unusual for the love of science to rival the love of woman in its depth and absorbing energy”
Connection to Theme: This line in particular sets up the rest of the story. Science for Alymer rivals his love of his wife and in the end is his downfall with the death of Georgiana
Quote: "It is magical!" cried Georgiana. "I dare not touch it." "Nay, pluck it," answered Aylmer,—"pluck it, and inhale its brief perfume while you may. The flower will wither in a few moments and leave nothing save its brown seed vessels; but thence may be perpetuated a race as ephemeral as itself." But Georgiana had no sooner touched the flower than the whole plant suffered a blight, its leaves turning coal-black as if by the agency of fire.”
Connection to Theme: This foreshadowing of the flower dieing shows what happens when science try to “fix” nature. This is seen with Aylmer's mission to “fix” Georgiana, his idea of perfection and beauty fails and ends up killing his wife who is created by nature like the flower.
Second Body
Paragraph: Topic Sentence: The darkness and isolation images of the episode of “ The Eye of the Beholder” help create the allegory. What the other author does: However, whereas Hawthorne focuses on how beauty is given by nature but is manipulated by science, “The Eye of the Beholder” focuses on how society decides who is beautiful. Literary Technique 1: This allegory is created through scenes of darkness and makes the point to offer the audience a the moral truth of “beauty is the in eye of the beholder.” Evidence: Throughout the episode until the end the audience don’t see the faces of the staff until we see Janet Taylor’s face who in this society is deemed ugly. Connection to Theme: The moral truth we get from this allegory is that “beauty is in the eye of beautiful the beholder” which means that beauty is all in perspective. What the other author does: This contrasts with “The Birthmark” where Georgiana is doing whatever she can to please her husband even though society finds her beautiful, while Janet is ugly to society and will do whatever to please society and is beautiful to the person who looks like her. Literary Technique 2: The ironies that are portrayed in the film show how beauty is all perspective and not a definite definition. Evidence: After the unwrapping of Janet Taylor’s bandages we see a normal looking person who in society would even be considered beautiful. Everyone around her the nurses and Dr. Bernardi who called her ugly and wanted to her to “be with her own kind” have faces like pigs with deformities that would be deemed ugly. Connection to Theme: As seen in the episode the majority of the society can dictate what is considered beautiful, even normal. If you aren’t apart of this “normal” crowd this you should be separated. Conclusion Ties Back to Theme: Whereas Hawthorne portrays a binary between science and nature and its effect on a woman’s beauty , the Twilight Zone shows how society can impact beauty standards and how beauty is really in the eye of the beholder.
In short, Alymer tries to play God by ridding Georgiana of her original sin, and make a perfect being. But no mortal can be perfect, and no mortal can not have original sin. Thus when the experiment works, Georgiana achieves perfection and can no longer be a mortal, thus she dies.
Whenever she encounter fields of flowers, she becomes captivated by the allure of the flowers. After seeing the flowers she is“stuck, I’m taken, I’m conquered, and I’m washed into it.” Nature captures her mind and hypnotizes her with its beauty, it becomes all she sees and experiences. Nature stops her in her tracks, and completely captures her attention.When she sees fields of flowers she “drops to the sand, I can’t move.” She becomes immobilized in its beauty, it controls her and becomes the only important thing on her mind. On the other hand, the complexity of nature also makes her overwhelmed. She states that the roses leave her “filled to the last edges with an immobilizing happiness. And is this not also terrible?” The rose’s beauty becomes too overbearing for Oliver, and keeps her captive from everything else; It becomes too much of a sensory overload. Nature has the ability to work with both sides, beauty and an
Alymer's categorial thinking leads to idolize his wife. He refuses to allow her fault, instead, he makes her insecure with his incessant stares and questions regarding the virth-mark. He is a perfectionist and will not rest until his wife is flawless, even it may cost her dearly. He even projects his perfectionism onto Georgiana, who says she will go mad if he does not remove ger birth-mark. This is shown when we read about his dream, in whhich he attempts to remove the birth-mark, and though he has discovered that it connects to Georgianas heart, he persists, even to her certain death.
In Nathanial Hawthorne’s “The Birth-Mark,” Aylmer, a crazed, “mad-scientist,” seeks to remove the scarlet handprint birthmark from his wife, Georgiana’s cheek. From the opening of the work, the third person narrator describes Aylmer’s obsession with science and the adverse effects it has had on his social life. Aylmer is tied up in this battle within himself and with his assigned association between the natural and the spiritual world. He wishes to have as much control over these colliding worlds as possible, granting himself god-like power and control in the process. In the art of manipulating nature through science, Aylmer believes he is able to alter the spiritual aspects of the natural as well. Aylmer’s focus on spirituality is Hawthorne’s way of commenting on mankind’s fixation on sin and redemption.
In any novel worth reading there is use of basic rhetorical devices like symbolism, allusions, etc. Nathaniel Hawthorne viewed strongly abroad as excellent author for many reasons but none as prevalent as his use of symbolism. Hawthorne uses repetition, motifs and symbolism to poetically approximate allusions almost within every word of his book “The Scarlet Letter”. Symbolism is the adhesive in “The Scarlet Letter”, other than maintaining the reader’s interest, it also makes allusions to other famous works such as the bible, and he uses it to transition the exposition throughout the book. A white man standing next to an Indian was wearing “… clad in a strange disarray of civilized and savage costume” (45) symbolizing the linimal position of the character in the story and in life. Although this symbol has one clear layer it also has a bi-layer to represent a different meaning. The matter that Hawthorne forms epic amounts of symbol s would have formed a problem if he hadn’t made it easy to depict the differences between his concrete symbols and his abstract symbols through repetit...
The birthmark is a compelling story of one man’s obsession with his scientific ability to produce perfection. Aylmer, a scientist, is married to a Georgiana who is a very beautiful woman. Not long after getting married Georgiana’s birthmark, which is in the shape of a tiny handprint on her check, really begins to bother Aylmer. He sees it as a flaw in an other wise perfect woman. Georgiana knows that her birthmark disgusts him and, having grown up not bother at all by it, begins to hate it herself. He asks if she has ever considered having it removed. This is not something she has considered since other people in her life, especially men, have always seen it as a “charm”. Aylmer being an amazing scientist almost sees himself as god and feels that he has the power to remove this imperfection. Georgiana, bothered by her husband’s reaction to her birthmark, agrees to let him try to rid her of it. She is taken to his laboratory and he immediately begins to experiment. After she finds Aylmer’s book of experiments, which all end in failure, she for the first time, has some doubt about how this will work and confronts him. He reassures her and begins to try a multitude of methods, with the help of his assistant Aminadab, which do not work. At one point, there are several experiments going on and he even refers to himself as a “sorcerer” (Hawthorne 232). Finally, he produces a potion, which she drinks, and the birthmark begins to disappear! Slowly though, even as the experiment is working, Georgiana is fading away. He finds that ultimately, the birthmark was connected to her very soul and in his trying to act god like he actually kills her. Really this short story just proves that science has its limits and no man should try to act like G...
The birthmark is a lingering thought on his mind from daylight till twilight that it somehow possesses over him. In his dream, Aylmer recollects, “. . . the deeper went the knife, the deeper sank the hand, until at length it’s tiny grasp appeared to have caught hold of Georgiana’s heart, . . . her husband was inexorably resolved to cut or wrench it away” (Hawthorne 3). Aylmer recognizes how hysterical the dream is and begins to feel guilty. It is clear that his dream can be seen as being deeply obsessed with the mark that surfaces across Georgiana’s cheek. Furthermore, Aylmer is so fixated on Georgiana’ s birthmark and is set on getting rid of it, that even Georgiana begins to get jittery. Aylmer expresses, “I have already given this matter the deepest thought--thought which might almost have enlightened me to create a being less perfect than yourself” (Hawthorne 3). Georgiana seems terrified over her husband’s thoughts, but refrains herself from telling him how insane
“The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection,”(George Orwell) is a relevant idea pertaining to the theme, how striving for perfection in humanity is foolish. Aylmer is a late 18th-century scientist who recently retired so he could marry his love Georgiana. Georgiana has a small birthmark on her cheek in the shape of a small hand. Most men who liked her found the birthmark attractive. Some women on the other hand said that it messed up an otherwise flawless face. Georgiana did not have a problem with it until one day, until one day Aylmer says he does not like the birthmark. He feels as though Georgiana would be perfect and flawless if it were just removed. Georgiana is crushed, because Aylmer thinks the birthmark is ugly, so of course she now thinks she is ugly. For Aylmer, the birthmark is a symbol of human imperfection. Aylmer has a dream in which he tried to remove the birthmark on Georgiana’s face. The deeper he cut, the deeper the birthmark would go. Until it was, finally, all the way down to Georgiana's heart. In the dream, he keeps cutting through her heart to finally get it out. Georgiana is disturbed and upset by this dream. She decides that she will let Aylmer find a way to remove the birthmark to make his unhappiness stop. Of Aylmer already has been working this at his laboratory. He has set up a room for her to stay while he comes up with a solution to remove the birthmark. When the antidote is finished,
?Beauty is in the eye of the beholder? is one of the most commonly known proverbs. In the Twilight Zone?s short film, ?Eye of the Beholder? that same proverb is used as a metaphor to demonstrate how beauty and acceptance are illustrated in the real world. The film tells the story of a woman whose hideously deformed face has made her an outcast all of her life. Now she faces her nearly a dozen and final operation for a last chance to look normal with the help of unseen surgeons.
The scene in question opens with Georgiana asking Aylmer to recall if he had dreamt of the birthmark. Georgiana’s high self-consciousness and shame felt from Aylmer’s horrified stares motivates her to confront Aylmer. At first, Aylmer denies the suggestion but then decides to admit he had dreamt of it. Before Aylmer can reveal his nightmare, Georgiana expresses a desire to rid herself of the mark. In doing this, Georgiana describes the birthmark using negative terms such as “fatal birthmark” and “stain.” Prior to her request, Georgiana had described the birthmark as “a charm.” This shift in perspective is key to both the plot of the story and its implications for
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, “The Birthmark” was on the darker side of the Romantic Movement, but it was still a love story. There was a love of science and obsessing over beauty and perfection. Aylmer love Georgiana and she loved him. She was willing to die for him, and he was willing to experiment on her, even if meant losing her. Hawthorne put himself into his work, expressing fears, and emotions that was hard to put into words. His surroundings impacted the outcome of his
After Georgina eventually passed, Aylmer was left to deal with what his obsession for perfection had brought upon his wife, who was thought to be the closest thing to perfection. Hawthorne uses many different literary devices throughout this story, with the most prevalent being his use of symbolism. of the book. Ed. Michael Meyer.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark”, is the story of a crazed scientist whose strive for perfection not only leads to the death of his beautiful wife, but the attempt of man to have power over nature. It follows the story of Aylmer and his obsession with removing the birthmark off his beautiful wife, Georgiana. “His unnatural fixation to his wife’s birthmark even consumes him in his sleep as he dreams of cutting it off much like scraping an apple off its skin.” (Snodgrass 29). This narrative explores the themes of perfection, and the conflict between science and the natural world.
Everybody adores this mark except Aylmer, who thinks the birthmark is a curse. Shortly after he marries Georgiana. He begins to see the trace of nature’s imperfection on his almost perfect wife. This leads him to the quest of perfecting his wife’s “flaw.” He said to his wife,
A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot. (2009 Open-Ended Question for AP English Literature and Composition).