Georgiana’s birthmark
symbolizes mortality
. According to the narrator, every living thing is flawed in some way, nature’s way of reminding us that every living thing eventually dies. The hand-shaped mark on Georgiana’s cheek is the one blemish on an otherwise perfect being, a blemish that marks her as mortal.
What does the laboratory symbolize in the birthmark?
The Laboratory and Boudoir
The boudoir is the
dwelling place of all Aylmer’s lofty, spiritual aspirations
– everything he wants to accomplish as a scientist. But the lab stinks of his failures, of the reminders that he is mortal and cannot compete with Nature on a scientific scale.
What does the flower symbolize in the birthmark?
The flower referred to in the quote is a magical flower that clearly represents
the perfection that man can create
: it is described as being “perfect and lovely,” and Georgina herself recognises that in many ways it is too “perfect and lovely,” so much so that she attributes that perfection to it being “magical.”
What does Aylmer symbolize in the birthmark?
Aylmer reasons that the birthmark is Nature’s way of
showing Georgiana’s mortality and necessary humanity
. He wants to remove the mark, then, not because he doesn’t like the way she looks, but because of what the symbol represents to him (see “Symbols, Imagery, Allegory”).
What do the characters in the birthmark represent?
The birthmark symbolizes
Georgiana’s aspect of being an imperfect being, a human
. However, Aylmer who is a scientist searches for imperfection in everything that he sees. For him, the birthmark needs to be removed in order to make Georgiana perfect.
Who is Georgiana in the birthmark?
Aylmer’s wife
. A beautiful, intelligent, and caring woman, Georgiana is physically and spiritually lovely. Her only flaw is a small red birthmark shaped like a tiny hand on her left cheek. Georgiana worships her husband and submits to his unreasonable demands, despite her suspicions that they will kill her.
What is the moral of the story the birthmark?
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story, “The Birthmark,” there are several possible morals. Aylmer is a man of science who marries the beautiful Georgiana. … The moral to the story, then, is that
a man cannot play God or attempt to alter nature; in addition, seeking perfection is a dangerous and deadly goal
.
What is the irony in the birthmark?
The irony is that
the elixir does remove her birthmark, but it also kills her
. The elixir destroys her physical beauty in an effort to improve it. It is also ironic that Aylmer is a highly intelligent man, but has no wisdom. He does not see that his wife’s inner beauty is what is really important.
What does the removal of the birthmark signify?
As her “
sole token of human imperfection
,” the mark allows her to continue living on the earthly plane. Its removal kills her because she becomes too perfect for the world of flawed humans.
How does foreshadowing affect the overall message of the story the birthmark?
“The Birthmark” is rife with the kind of foreshadowing that may strike modern readers as heavy-handed. … She interprets it correctly,
firmly believing that the birthmark’s removal may lead to her death.
Where is Georgiana’s birthmark?
Georgiana is angry at first, and then she weeps, asking how he can love her if she is shocking to him. The narrator explains that the birthmark in question is a red mark
in the shape of a tiny hand on Georgiana’s left cheek
. The mark disappears when she blushes.
What is the theme of the birthmark?
‘The Birthmark’ focuses on the theme of
obsession
, particularly the moment when love becomes an obsession, making it dangerous—and even deadly, shown in Aylmer’s obsession with the birthmark and Georgiana’s obsession with Aylmer to the point of willing suicide by poison.
Why does Georgiana agree to the removal of the birthmark?
Why does Georgiana agree to the removal of the birthmark?
Georgiana lets Aylmer attempt to remove the birthmark
, despite the terrible danger, because she loves her husband so much and he is so troubled by the mark.
What type of character is Aylmer in the birthmark?
Aylmer is
an intellectual run amok
, a man whose mind has overpowered his sense of decency. An incredibly skilled scientist, he has made many exciting discoveries about the physical world.
Why is Aylmer so repulsed by Georgiana’s birthmark?
Why is Aylmer so repulsed the birthmark? …
He wants to remove it
, because he thinks that the birthmark is nature’s way of showing Georgiana’s mortality and necessary humanity.
What is the climax of the birthmark?
Climax.
The couple moves to his apartment where he performs his scientific experiments
. As Georgiana studies the various aspects of her husband’s profession she finds herself captivated by what he can do. Although, she reads his journals and finds out that all his experiments never quite reach their full goal.
