“The Birthmark” – a Psychological Short Story Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” may require a psychoanalyst to properly interpret because it is indeed a “psychological” short story in its themes and approach to character portrayal - and this essay will amply demonstrate these assertions. Henry Seidel Canby in “A Skeptic Incompatible with His Time and His Past” talks about the value of Hawthorne’s “literary psychology”: This irreverent generation [of the 1950’s] has mocked at Hawthorne’s struggling
The similarities and differences between Poe and Hawthorne both show a dynamic and intriguing method that has lasted through the times. They both show an inner personal look through their writing about their loved ones. The dynamic writing between both writers depict the idea that no matter how morbid the writing love can shine through any view. With both writers there is a vision of morbid curiosity along with a romantic nature for the audience; by depicting death of a loved one to show a sense
The Psychological Dimension of “The Birthmark” This essay will analyze Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” in order to demonstrate that it is a “psychological” short story both in its themes and in its emphasis on the moral-psychological aspect of the main characters. There is probably unanimity among literary critics that Hawthorne is a “psychological” writer. Consider some of their statements chosen at random from various critiques of Hawthorne’s literary works: Stanley T. Williams in
Ambiguity of “The Birthmark” There are numerous instances of ambiguity in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark”; this essay hopes to explore critics’ comments on that problem within the tale, as well as to analyze it from this reader’s standpoint. In New England Men of Letters Wilson Sullivan relates Hawthorne’s usage of opposites in his tales: He sought, in Hamlet’s telling words to his palace players, “to hold the mirror up to nature,” and to report what he saw in that mirror. .
Try as much as possible to be wholly alive, with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell and when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough. --William Saroyan Although this approach to living life may be humorous and simplistic, William Saroyan describes a common need of people to live wholly and experience life at its fullest. 'Carpe diem' is a phrase that is familiar to more than just Latin scholars. This need for fullness in one’s
Humans have been known to seek perfection/true beauty for centuries, yet there has always been a limit to these ventures. Hawthorne’s “The Birth-Mark” shows us the extent of action that an obsessed scientist will conduct, even to his own wife, in the hopes of obtaining perfection without knowing the depth of true beauty. Aylmer becomes disgusted/obsessed with his wife Georgiana’s birthmark that is shaped like a small crimson colored hand. He acknowledges that his wife is beautiful and the narrator
The Birthmark, 1843 is a story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne an author who has written several well-known literary classics. This author is known for his excellent use of literary elements. In the story, The Birthmark, Hawthorne does a great job of capturing symbolism throughout its entirety. The author is able to incorporate everyday things into his story and give them a meaning beyond their everyday definition. The biggest and most important example of this would be the birthmark. The birthmark
Casey Funderburk Mrs. Brandi Gindhart ENG 251-301 22 October 2014 In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s two short stories, “The Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter” he strongly expresses the science of trying to manipulate or perfect nature. “Failed attempts to attain perfection are a frequent attempts at perfection fail because Hawthorne’s protagonists are misguided and their own innate imperfections cloud their judgments” (Aaron). In both his stories he tries to portray the women as perfection, but in
“The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a 19th century story that demonstrates that people are obsessed with perfection. Perfection does not exist in the human world because everything has flaws. “The Birthmark” is a story about a man named Aylmer that is disturbed by the birthmark of his beautiful wife, Georgiana. He wants to remove the birthmark because he thinks that the birthmark is an awful imperfection that will make his wife look hideous. It also shows that Aylmer is self-centered because
Ligeia/Birthmark Essay Ligeia and the Birthmark are two stories that show man’s pursuit of perfection and desire to play God. The characters in these short stories try to play God by pursuing physical perfection, believing that man can become immortal through having a stronger will than God, and ultimately the belief that man has the ability to overcome nature. In Ligeia, the narrator falls in love with Ligeia. Ligeia falls ill, but both characters believe that if man’s will is stronger than God’s
The Blemished Beauty I.Introduction II. Georgiana’s Character traits A. How she is perceived B. Traits that truly describe her III. Georgiana’s Moment of Clarity A. Setting Details B. Why the Scene is Important IV. Why I chose Georgiana My birthmark VI. Lessons Learned All humans are flawed Don’t lose your future over trivial matters Don’t let the opinions of others affect your self-image VII. Conclusion In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Birth-mark”
External and Internal Conflict in “The Birthmark” This essay will analyze Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” to determine the external and internal conflicts in the tale. In the opinion of this reader, the central conflicts in the tale – the relation between the protagonist and antagonist usually (Abrams 225) – are the external one between Aylmer and Georgiana over the birthmark on her cheek, and internal ones within Georgiana between love and self-interest and alienation, and within
Scientific research concerning living organisims is usually beneficial. Most medical practices are beneficial; they are done to cure people from illness and to save people's lives. The only time when science borders on going too far is when it is used to alter people or animals -- for instance changing the genes of a fly to give it eyes on its legs. Making mutants like that violates the sanctity of life, and although it is condonable for research with flies, to do something similar
In “The Birthmark,'; by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Georgiana’s futile attempt to be flawless by cooperating in her own murder doesn’t make her any wiser, especially because such a sacrifice does not earn her closeness with her husband. The character of Georgiana epitomizes the virtues upheld by the conventions of her time; she is beautiful, docile and has no ambitions of her own other than to make her husband happy. In addition to this apparent perfect union is a "singular mark, deeply
Heidegger’s Experiment, the scientist gathers a couple old friends who seem to be unhappy with their lives. All they desire is to be young once again. Since they were so unhappy, they decided to join an experiment, which turned out to be an illusion. Hawthorne creates a false experiment that resists Gods natural
Since the beginning of time, people have lived by the expression, or at least heard From their mother’s, that “no one should judge another based on physical attributes.” “The Birthmark,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne gives its reader an important example of this worldly known moral. In “The Birthmark,” Hawthorne uses characterization, a foil character, hyperbole, a dramatic setting, imagery and a huge tragedy in order to display the judgment morality of his main character, Aylmer. Hawthorne
Journal critic, John Lammers, writes Powers’ Eve Tempted: Sculpture and ‘The Birth-Mark to discuss his perspective of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birth-Mark” and how the famous Powers’ Eve Tempted sculpture parallels with the message of the story. Hawthorne’s short story delays the message of even the most perfect creation has flaws. Lammers concludes that Georgiana’s physical characteristic of a birthmark is an indication of her life. Hawthorne makes the birthmark intertwined within Georgiana’s heart
“The Birth-Mark” was written in 1844; by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The story describes Aylmer as a successful scientist. He discovers many mysteries of nature, such as what causes volcanoes and earthquakes; however, it is ironic that even though the story was written in the 1840s, which was the peak of the second great awakening, Aylmer did not believe in God. Georgiana is Aylmer’s faithful wife. She is born with a birth-mark in the form of a very tiny hand on her left cheek. Everybody adores this mark
In the short story “The Birthmark,” Nathaniel Hawthorne recounts a tale of a man who becomes so obsessed with a birthmark on his wife’s cheek that he completely disregards everything else about her, objectifying her to the point where he treats her like an experiment rather than someone he actually cares about. Aylmer’s neurotic captivation with Georgiana’s birthmark and his unreasonable desire to perfect his wife leads to her crippling self-loathing and ultimately her demise. Hawthorne not only
Heidegger’s Experiment, where Dr. Heidegger makes an intelligent decision because of his knowledge of what the true outcome will most likely be. Dr. Heidegger is an old scientist who invites four old and venerable friends over to be test subjects of his experiment. He explains to them that the water from the Fountain of Youth that he possesses can make them younger. The four friends drink some of the water, which leads them to believe