In one sense, Aylmer sees the birthmark as a symbol of
sin and moral degeneracy
, and he imagines it ingrained not only on his wife’s skin but on her heart, indicating a significance beyond that of her physical appearance.
What does the birthmark represent for the two main characters?
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.
What does the birthmark symbolize to Aylmer?
Georgiana’s birthmark symbolizes
mortality
. Aylmer also mistakenly believes that the birthmark represents Georgiana’s moral decrepitude and spiritual flaws even though she isn’t a woman prone to sin at all. … If anything, the symbol of death on her cheek clashes with her natural generosity and sunny spirit.
What does the birthmark represent for aminadab?
A hulking, strong, grubby man, Aminadab is an able helper but simultaneously disgusted by Aylmer’s desire to erase Georgiana’s birthmark. Because Aminadab represents
the physical side of existence
, his disgust is a strong indictment of Aylmer.
Is Aylmer evil in the birthmark?
Even though
Aylmer isn’t evil
, he is nevertheless despicable and sinister because he considers himself an apt judge of his wife’s moral fiber. In this passage, we see that Aylmer doesn’t merely want to wipe away the physical birthmark on his wife’s cheek.
Why is Aylmer so intent on removing 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”).
Why does Georgiana agree to let Aylmer remove her 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
. He tells her, dearest Georgiana, you came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature that this slightest possible defect . . ….
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.
Who is the real villain in the birthmark?
If
Aylmer
is the villain of the story, Georgiana is the heroine. She acts as society says she should, trusting her husband absolutely, and her only reward for her obedience and deference is death.
What is the moral of the story the birthmark?
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story, “The Birthmark,” there are several possible morals. … 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 central warning 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.
What does Aylmer’s assistant aminadab say about Georgiana’s birthmark?
“If she were my wife,” Aminadab says, in his only line of dialogue, “
I’d never part with that birthmark
” (28). … When it becomes apparent that the birthmark is fading from Georgiana’s cheek, Aylmer hears “a gross, hoarse chuckle, which he had long known as his servant Aminadab’s expression of delight” (85).
Why does aminadab laugh at the end of the birthmark?
Aylmer’s assistant, Aminadab, laughs for the second time at the end of “The Birthmark” because
he is laughing at the irony of Aylmer’s obsession with the superficial, physical aspect of Georgiana.
What happens in the birthmark?
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
. … Aylmer obsesses about the birthmark. For him, it symbolizes mortality and sin and comes to tower over Georgiana’s beauty in his mind.
What are some things said about the birthmark?
- In the latter part of the last century there lived a man of science … …
- Shocks you, my husband! … …
- It was the fatal flaw of humanity which Nature … …
- If there be the remotest possibility of it … let the attempt be made, at whatever risk. …
- Doubt not my power.
How does Hawthorne use imagery in the birthmark?
OK, so the birthmark
represents Georgiana’s humanity
, which Hawthorne indicates is equivalent to representing her flaws. On a literal level, he wants to take off what he considers to be an unattractive birthmark. … But on a symbolic level, he wants to rid Georgiana of her flaws.
