The Birthmark Paper

Matthew Longman Thursday, October 25, 2001 In Nathanial Hawthorne’s short story, the Birthmark, he tells a story about a scientist, who believes he is more creative and skilled than Mother Nature herself, and his wife Georgiana. In the short story, Georgiana’s birthmark is representative of her soul because of several examples and instances in the story. There are several points in the story that imply her soul is linked to her birthmark. For example, the …

…her birthmark as a link between the physical reality and the spiritual reality. This allows him to shape her sole using the only thing he can. He cannot create a spiritual potion, however, he can create a physical potion. In the end, after Georgiana’s death, Hawthorne makes the reader think about the sacrifice made by Georgiana, and whether or not it worth it for Aylmer to lose his wife over his obsession with perfection.