Birthmark Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Birthmark - Essay ExampleHawthorn strives to introduce new horizons to the public and gives them a deep understanding of certain intricate issues of life. The cognitive content implied by the story is that people who hopelessly try to see ideal in others entirely torture themselves and their dear ones as their souls are like clean-handed lands which n forever get satiated no matter how much rain pounds on them. Main themes of the story explore issues like striving for apotheosis is only foolishness, people cannot become godlike figures to reverse or combat nature, and no clear line could be drawn setting beauty apart from imperfection. It is express that it is always the mix of beauty and flaws that creates uniqueness. In this commendable story about the fanatical obsession a husband has with removing a nevus from his wifes face so as to achieve perfection, it is identified that human race is riddled with flaws and no one has ever been known to be born with perfection or total ly flawless beauty on the face of Earth. The story did not win the appreciation of all critics as it also attracted some rock when it was suggested that since the author demonstrated how a man could kill his wife in such a facile manner in the process of achieving perfection and thence get away with the murder so conveniently if the consequences turn ugly, this story should be assessed as a failure rather than labeling it a success (Fetterley, cited in Frank 164-173). To some extent this claim made by critics could be held true as the story really contains a detailed description of how Aylmer, a scientist and husband of Georgiana, has a dream one night in which the trademark foreshadowing occurs regarding how the birthmark is connected to Georgianas heart. The extent to which Aylmers offensive obsession is grown by that point could be judged from the fact that he unconsciously decides to cut out his wifes heart as well if that is what involve to be done to achieve perfection. Geor giana is presented as a doomed character in the story who does anything and is willing to go through an change, even physical, so as to please her husband but to no avail (Wright). The extent to which demure and faithful Georgiana is hell bent on catering to her husbands needfully could be judged from the quote that with her whole spirit she prayed that, for a single moment, she might satisfy his highest and deepest conception. Longer than one moment she well knew it could not be (Hawthorne, cited in SparkNotes Editors). This shows how much sadness and grief is instilled in Georgianas heart by his emotionally deadpan husband as she longs for just one moment wise to(p) how longer than that she could never be able to satiate Aylmers soul as it always remained in search of something new and perfect. The quote that for his spirit was ever on the march, ever ascending... requiring something that was beyond the scope of the instant before (Hawthorne, cited in SparkNotes Editors) underli nes this fact. That is why she even allows Aylmer to perform his experiments on her face so that the birthmark which kept her from becoming all perfect could be removed. Aylmer is introduced as a brainy scientist type who is emotionally a deadpan and fixated on seeing perfection around him to achieve which he is willing to cross all boundaries. Intent on achieving perfect