“The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a story about the enlightenment, the romantic relationship and the man’s obsession of the human perfection. The author of the story presents it like a challenge to the common believes that existed in those times. The main idea of “The Birthmark” is a struggle between the mind of great capacity and spiritual thoughts. One of the main characters, Aylmer, is an example of the fighter of advantage of the exact science over something that cannot be proved or explored.
Like the enlighteners Aylmer was primarily convinced that rational changing, improving the social forms of life may change everyone. On the other hand, a clever person is capable to the moral perfection; he is desperate to achieve it. Therefore obsessed scientist has a plan to change his wife Georgiana who has a birthmark on her chic. Georgiana is a symbol of women that can be exposed to the influence; a while Georgiana’s character becomes pursued of the idea of perfection too.
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It cannot be said that Aylmer perceives easily the obsessed idea to change the wife. In his soul occurred real struggle, in which scientific origin prevails. The more important thing to Aylmer is idea of perfect creation, perfect soul and body. The hero took the role of God to correct the mistake that was done as the birthmark. But scientist does not think about consequences, everything that is important to create the masterpiece, to improve the skills. According to Meyer, Austen & Duckworth (2011), “It was not unusual for the love of science to rival the love of woman in its depth and absorbing energy.”(p. 118) But the end of the story is not happy, Aylmer achieve his evil plan but by the value of Georgiana’s life.
Additionally Nathaniel Hawthorne shows the struggle with the romantic beginning of the century. “The Birthmark” is a symbol of human imperfection; each person is this word is mortal, it cannot be changed. The obsession of perfection leads to the oblivion and despair. Nobody can take the role of God without bitter consequences; science cannot overcome the nature’s creation.