Nathaniel Hawthorne: Original Sin in “The Birthmark” Essay (Review)

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Introduction

First of all it is necessary to mention that “The Birthmark” is a romantic short story which is written by Nathaniel Hawthorne with the aim to examine the fascination with human excellence. It has seen the world in the March, 1843 under The Pioneer edition. This story entails several themes and plot hooks, which attract readers and originate essential analysis and thinking over of the story. Originally, the author challenges numerous issues, entailing the general and all-entailing science from the points of religious fanaticism till the issues of the purest materialism. The idea of physical expression of the imperfections of the human nature and spirit is widely represented and deeply studied, and the idea that a man is able to create something perfect while he himself is absolutely imperfect sounds ridiculous in the story. (Farrel 2001, p, 1144)

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Analysis and Criticism

Like lots of other stories, Hawthorne created his “The Birthmark” living in the Old Manse, which inspired him for writing the discussion on the matter of the psychological impact in sexual relations. As McFarlend (1999, p. 49) states: “In the early nineteenth century, science and technology assumed more dominant roles in American life. Originally, it was regarded as a part of religion – as a source of meaning and understanding. Hawthorne presents scientific experimentation which did not result as it was intended. Aylmer, obsessed with his wife’s imperfection, dedicates himself to removing it.

The Birthmark” does not become an issue to Aylmer until after the marriage, which he suddenly sees as sexual: now vaguely portrayed, now lost, now stealing forth again, and glimmering to-and-fro with every pulse of emotion. The story emphasizes the husband’s sexual guilt disguised as superficial cosmetology. Some critics contend that the theme of the story is that human perfection can only be achieved in death and therefore not reachable at all, in that the trademark foreshadowing occurred during Aylmer’s dream, in which he can not cut deep enough to remove the birthmark. (Doubleday, 1966, p. 406)

Hawthorne aims to criticize the period of reforms, during which he was living, and wished to emphasize that the reformation was ineffective and even dangerous for the reformers and for the population. Other researchers claim that this was the criticism of 19th century positivistic philosophic view (positivism) which stated that the nature itself may be compared with a woman. This is the part of idealistic symbolism, which was popular in the 19th century community of the United States. Still others also regard it as a defense of vitalism against materialism and realistic symbolism, which emphasizes that it is impossible to find the quintessence or soul in bodily matter. (Mellow, 1980, p. 324) Originally, one of the main ideas of “The Birthmark” is often regarded as the support of the Christian view that God created man in his own image; still, the human is featured with the original sin. Humanity is often marked out by the universal feature – a general imperfection. This imperfection is pictured in the story.

In comparison with, the main character by Hawthorne, named Aylmer turns to be preoccupied with the perfect beauty to the point of complete rejection of any physical or moral imperfection (Gollin 1993, p. 3). This way, Pygmalion in his turn fell in love with the perfect creation which he had carved himself, as well as Aylmer fell in love with the image of his wife he wished to create.

The main character of the story is the scientist with these prejudices and knowledge of the human nature aims to search not the beauty of the human nature, but the imperfections, which fill the inter-human relations, their deeds and thoughts. He thinks, that nature itself is even more imperfect from the point of view of human nature. It is said that people dislike some stains and deceases if they appear on the beautiful plants. They do not like observing natural disasters and watching the epidemics of deceases. Neither people like to observe the effects of these epidemics and disasters. The first action by a human is to remove the effects of natural disasters or any other representations of nature’s imperfectness.

According to the plot line, Aylmer’s wife Georgiana has a birthmark, which Aylmer regards as the demerit, or even imperfection (as he calls it), and in spite of the fact that it is absolutely harmless, Aylmer aims to eradicate it at any cost. He becomes seriously occupied with this issue, and the problem of removing that birthmark. As Van Doren emphasizes, Hawthorne aims to persuade the reader that Georgiana’s birthmark is absolutely harmless, on the one hand. It is even mentioned in the story as the loving touch of the hand of God. Hawthorne states the following: “Georgiana’s lovers were wont to say that some fairy at her birth hour had laid her tiny hand upon the infant’s cheek, and left this impress there in token of the magic endowments that were to give her such sway over all hearts”.

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However, on the other hand it is just a birthmark for her and for the others, and there is not any part of divinity in her soul and nature, and any angel did not touch her body, but everything is of human nature. Notwithstanding, Aylmer does not wish to see her humanity, as it is regarded as inherently flawed, and he claims for perfection. He got used to see the world as the system, which entails numerous mistakes; consequently, he requires checking and eradicating all the mistakes in this system. The thought, that the world is something beautiful and complete is strange for him. So, he is unable to see the birthmark on his beloved wife as something that can not be parted from her. He is a scientist and she is his wife, so it is strange for him to observe and being unable to do something. He feels that he is able to make her perfect and flawless. His logical considerations are the following: if he removes her birthmark now, her wrinkles a bit later, and be able to cure her osteoporosis when she is old, she may become eternal. (Van Doren, 1949, p. 331)

According to Zanger (1983, 368): “Aylmer violates not merely the marriage injunction, by putting asunder what God had joined together, but also denies the original unifying act that was creation. Of his primal birth, the hand is the divine signature, the mark of the hand of the marker. Hawthorne further identifies this divine sign when he links it to another signature of divinity, comparing the fading of the crimson hand from Georgiana’s cheek with “The stain of the rainboe fading out of the sky.” After all it becomes clear that it is Georgiana herself who is imperfection. Originally, the author argues that imperfection is the part of human nature as well as beauty is. Unfortunately, Aylmer does not realize that the result of the eradication of the imperfection may cause the eradication of Georgiana, as it is the integral part of her, and birthmark symbolizes her very human life in the story.

As Hawthorne states in the story: “It was the fatal flaw of humanity which Nature, in one shape or another, stamps ineffaceably on all her productions, either to imply that they are temporary and finite, or that their perfection must be wrought by toil and pain.” The plastic surgery ended successfully, without any risk to Georgiana’s health and life, notwithstanding, the birthmark did not disappear. Aylmer did not manage to remove it as he did not have sufficient knowledge of how to make people perfect. According to the plot Georgiana turned through Aylmer’s folio and started crying. She cried, and told Aylmer that she loved him even more, even in spite of the fact that the birthmark was still on her face. She talked of dying while Aylmer poured a little bit of the potion on a dying plant, which turned to life after that. Georgiana took that liquid and fell asleep deeply. The mark slowly disappeared and Georgiana awoke just to say that Aylmer has succeeded in accomplishing his aim but she is dying. Nathaniel Hawthorne aimed to emphasize that human and his imperfections (or blessings, as Georgiana regarded her birthmark) are the integral part of human life. Thus, the key notion of the story is the human and his origin, which are inseparable from the nature and life of the humanity. The lack of any, even the most insignificant part of the life (or body, as it is imagined in the story) may cause the irreversible consequences.

Originally, the reality of life is the completed and cycled system. It is not subjective, dynamic, fixed or objective; however it is closely associated with the issues of human subjectivity. In the story, the ways of human interaction with this system are shown in the conflict between humanism and science; nevertheless, these interaction is originally in the heart of this conflict.

Conclusion

The central point of the story is the human nature, and the issues of the original sin, which is inseparable from human life. Georgiana’s birthmark was harmless; nonetheless, it was the inseparable part of her body and her life. Aylmer aimed to eradicate it, and he managed to do it successfully, nevertheless, what appeared to be victory for him was the defeat for her, and previous Georgiana stopped existing. She does not think that this was success, as she got used to live with it, and the fact is that she even did not mention it in her everyday life, while Aylmer was too obsessed at that little stain.

Surely, it is not human responsibility to eradicate the mistakes of nature, as everything in this world is created with the highest wisdom, and humans are often not able to realize it. One of the main ideas of the story is to emphasize that fact, that human will inevitably stay sinned. It is closely linked with the fact that sin and humanity are inseparable, and it is impossible to overcome this imperfectness.

References

Farrel. T.J. Critical Survey of Short Fiction. Vol. 3. Salem Press. 2001.

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Doubleday, N. Hawthorn’s Early Work. American Literature, vol. 37. No. 4. 1966. pp. 403-409.

Gollin, R. Nathaniel Hawthorne. Classroom Issues and Strategies. Studies in Short fiction. 1993 Pp. 1-4.

McFarlend Pennel, M. Student Companion to Nathaniel Hawthorne. Student Companions of Student Writers. 1999.

Mellow, J.R. Nathaniel Hawthorne. Review. The New England Quarterly. Vol.53. No.3. 1980.

Van Doren, M. The Deep Warm Street. New York, the Viking Press. 1949.

Zanger, J. Speaking of the Unspeakable. Nathaniel Hawthorne “The Birthmark”. Modern Philology. Vol. 8o. No.4. 1983. Pp. 364-371.

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