The Quest For Perfection In The Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne

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In the short story “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a scientist, Aylmer is in love with everything about his wife, Georgiana, except for the birthmark on her cheek. He loves her beauty and how perfect she is, but he cannot stop thinking about her eventually removing her birthmark. Aylmer’s strong determination to get rid of Georgiana’s birthmark is a symbol of his motive, which leads to a tragic consequence for all the striving to want something to be perfect. Through Aylmer’s character, Hawthorne explores themes of the quest for perfection, scientific curiosity, and desire for control. Aylmer’s strive for perfection overtakes almost every aspect of his life, specifically his scientific pursuits. He views imperfection as an obstacle to overcome, including …show more content…

Do not doubt my power. I am ready to make this cheek as perfect as its pair” (2). This is important because it shows Aylmer’s overconfidence in his scientific abilities even though “... many of his experiments had ended in failure” (3). It also shows how he does not care about the possible risks to his wife's health or life because he cares more about her outer beauty than her inner beauty. His confidence in his scientific abilities fuels him to want to alter Georgiana’s appearance for his pleasure. In the story, Aylmer says, “The chemical process went perfectly,” he said. “Unless all my science has tricked me, it cannot fail” (3). This is another example of Aylmer’s arrogance with his scientific studies. It shows that if anything were to go wrong, he would blame it on science instead of his own doing. This statement in the text also foreshadows that the procedure ended up failing in the end. Aylmer’s desire for control is another reason for him to want to remove Georgiana’s birthmark. Being a scientist, Aylmer naturally has the urge to alter and control his surroundings in his career and personal

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