The Birthmark

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “The Birthmark”, Hawthorne exposes the superficiality of the people of the time as well as their attempts to surpass Mother Nature and God. More often than not people do not realize that in their futile attempts to achieve perfection they are sacrificing happiness. “Yet, had Aylmer reached a profounder wisdom, he need not thus have flung away the happiness, which would have woven his mortal life of the self same texture with the celestial.” (2286-7). Aylmer grows more and more bothered by the scar on his wife’s face as each day passes. As a respectful and loving wife, Georgiana, is fearful and wants to please her husband by all means necessary, so even as his obsession with her scar becomes more and more hurtful she still tolerates it, because she loves him despite the despotic thoughts conquering his mind. “Until now he had not been aware of the tyrannizing influence acquired by one idea over his mind, and of the lengths which he might find in his heart that to go, for the sake of giving himself peace.”(2278). This obsession with Georgiana’s scar has taken over his mind and having a profound impact on their relationship. His emotions are dictating their relationship. His dissatisfaction with her scar is causing her to doubt her own beauty, even though she always considered this scar to be “a charm”. Thus, when Aylmer comes to her with the notion of ridding her face of this scar, she is eager to comply. “. . . let the attempt be made at whatever risk. Danger is nothing to me; for life-while this hateful mark makes me the object of your horror and disgust-life is a burthen which I would fling down with joy. Either remove this dreadful Hand, or take my wretched life!” (2278). Aylmer’s tyrannical nature has gotten into Georgiana’s head and now she is willing to do things she never fathomed. He has taken control over her mind and emotions. Every time she sees him looking upon her face, she turns pale out of shame.
Aylmer’s attempts to be a force greater than a “retired” scientist and husband of Georgiana continues beyond being a tyrannical ruler; he even attempts to surpass the greatness of Mother Nature. “ . .. what will be my triumph, when I shall have corrected what Nature left imperfect, in her fairest work!” (2279). Aylmer believes he can play God, yet he does not realize that there is no such thing as perfection and that all of nature’s flaws have a purpose. Despite his many failed experiments he also failed to realize that he can not truly perfect the flaws; rather he can damage them even more (like in the case of his wife). “She permits us indeed, to mar, but seldom to mend, and like a jealous patentee, on to make.” (2279). All of Aylmer’s foolishness and attempts to be perfect and make his wife perfect display his shallowness and ignorance and only creates more dissatisfaction and discontentment.