A word of caution in The Birthmark.

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By Nathaniel Hawthorne

Science and the research involved in it has been the pulse of our society for decades. With each new discovery, each new advancement in technology, we are able to help people live healthier, happier lives. However, there is a line that few have crossed in the field of science that raises heated debates that span the globe. From the idea of stem cell research to the suggestion of cloning, many believe that science, if taken too far, or winding up in the wrong hands has the potential to create disaster. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s’ The Birthmark, the author tells a story of a newly wed young scientist who ultimately kills his own wife by pursuing cosmetic perfection while trying to remove a birthmark from her face, and simultaneously relays a message to us all There can be no perfection in nature through science.

It is evident in the beginning that Hawthorne doesn’t wish to speak out against the idea of science in general, but rather the quest for perfection through science. Hawthorne’s character Aylmer, feels that his experiment is justified because of his supposed love for his wife, but more realistically his motive probably has more to do with his own feelings of shame for having a wife with a blemish on her face. … you came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature that this slightest possible defect, which we hesitate whether to term a defect or a beauty, shocks me, as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection (60). Here it seems as if Aylmer is attempting to convince his wife that his suggestion for removing the mark is something that he wants to do out of love and with intentions of helping her. Also, the use of the phrase “earthly imperfection” is very significant, hinting at the idea that by removing such an imperfection, Aylmer is playing a god like role.




Hawthorne’s theme that there can be no perfection in the nature is apparent upon Aylmer’s failure to correct his wife’s imperfection and at the same time keep her alive. Georgina bears a birthmark on her face in order to keep nature in balance, and any attempt to remove it can, and does result in disaster, which leads us to the conclusion that nature’s interwoven plan is not meant to be tampered with.

Hawthorne conveys the idea that it is easy to develop a false trust in the power of science. Aylmer believed he was proficient enough, boarding on being obsessively reckless, to perform this procedure, saying, doubt not my power…” “I feel myself fully competent to render this dear cheek as faultless as its fellow; and the, most beloved, what will be my triumph when I shall have corrected what Nature left imperfect in her fairest work! (6) However, it is clear in the end that science can never solve all problems, nor can mankind develop such a science, and if that were so, there would be no need for nature.

In my opinion, the question of whether or not Aylmer’s actions were justifiable even if the experiment had succeeded, is not the predominate concern in this particular story. More notably, Hawthorne wants us to be aware of why it is wrong to attempt to alter nature with science. With each innovation made in the field of science and technology, life presumably changes for the better. However, Hawthorne is trying to make it clear to us through his story that we should not try to alter nature to make it perfect, more specifically, altering the human body to achieve an ideal human form.

Moreover, the closer one gets to perfection the more obsessed one can become with that idea. Take Hawthorne’s character Aylmer for example. He becomes so obsessed with the idea of making his wife even more beautiful, that he completely sets aside all concern for her own wants and safety in hopes of completing what he has set out to do. Obsession for perfection becomes so overwhelming that is causes us, as well as Aylmer to lose sight of the fact those harmless blemishes, scars, or slight defects are just that, and quite possibly help contribute to who we are as individuals. In their absence, people would be robbed of what gives them individual characteristics, and sets them apart from everyone else.









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