Central to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing of The Birthmark is the unexplained mark that was on “Georgiana’s left cheeka little [similar] to the human hand, though of the smallest pygmy size” (Hawthorne par.7). Initially, the mark had brought Georgiana much admiration with some lovers asserting that the impression on her face was subject to a “fairy” whose tiny hand had somehow landed on the woman’s cheek when she was young (par. 7). The problem is, Aylmer, who happens to the story’s protagonist and Georgiana’s husband, fails to see the appeal of such a mark on the cheek of his significant other. Apparently, the birthmark was not one of happiness; on the contrary, to Aylmer, it was merely a representation of “sin, sorrow, decay, and death” (Hawthorne par.8). Naturally, the inconsistency in the depiction of the mark in Hawthorne’s work demands a deeper analysis of the same. Thus said, this paper focuses on The Birthmark from a psychoanalytic perspective which, aside from portraying Aylmer’s efforts to define the mark, highlights why his quest to remove it evolves to something more than mere appearances.
About the story, with a publication date of 1846, The Birthmark is part of Hawthorne’s short stories collection “Mosses from an Old Manse.” As hinted above, the romantic story focuses on a talented scientist, Aylmer and his wife, Georgiana. Georgiana is a beautiful woman, with an imprinted pale red birthmark on her face, and even though, she usually considered it enchanting and a sexual symbol, Aylmer views it as an imperfection or a flaw and makes his wife think the same (Hawthorne par.7). Therefore, deterred by the birthmark in the shape of a tiny hand on his wife’s cheek, Aylmer not only seeks to perfect Georgiana but also subjects her to scientific experiments to remove the mark, which eventually kills her the moment the mark disappears. The short story exhibits symbolism, whereby the birthmark represents various aspects associated with the society. In fact, Aylmer's desperate attempts show the removal of the birthmark is vital to the man as "a gambler's last cast”; after all, Hawthorne sought to represent aspects of imperfection and mortality through the same (Zanger 366). Georgina is the representation of humanity and imminent death due to the imperfection on her face, and the author demonstrates humans are flawed beings and perfection is only achievable through death. The problem was in Aylmer's mind since his thoughts would not let him comprehend the given assertions.
Still on the theme of death, The Birthmark demonstrates mortality because flaws characterize every living creature in one way or another, and the narrator considers it a way of showing that no one is perfect. The handprint on Georgina’s cheeks is a blemish that makes the character a mortal and to demand anything else would be something akin to "striving for perfection beyond the human" (Zanger 365). Consequently, Aylmer's attempts at removing the birthmark would symbolize his power over death as he believes that removing the mark that is a symbol of everything wrong with humanity, would mean that he has supremacy over death. Apparently, he "attempts nothing less than the reduction of the universe to its elemental contrarieties, the unraveling of creation" by the experiments that sought to remove the birthmark (Zanger 371). Aylmer’s development and efforts at eradicating the birthmark show the universal theme of pursuit by man for scientific knowledge and advancement and its consequences.
In Speaking of the Unspeakable, Jules Zanger draws attention to the fact that Aylmer’s obsession with the mark was nothing but the outcome of his confusion to the same. As mentioned before, Georgiana’s birthmark had originally brought her admiration yet in the eyes of her husband there was nothing admirable about the mark. In Zanger’s words, such confusion was acceptable if not expected because there was an “interweaving of disparate elements” in the birthmark (370). After all, Hawthorne describes it as a single "mark deeply interwoven” with the “texture and substance” of the woman’s face (par.7). In the husband’s mind, such a discrepancy cannot exist and as a result, he embarks to perfect his wife’s face and rid her of the unique elements for the sake of unity. In other words, the birthmark becomes the determinant factor in the male protagonist’s search for unity in his wife’s appearance and to an extent, the essence of the mark. With the unity, Aylmer’s confusion about the birthmark would come to an end.
So far, Aylmer is aware that his understanding of the birthmark significantly contrasts that of the other male characters; as a result, Aylmer experiences some confusion over the mark. Now, Hawthorne’s affirmation that the “love of science [could] rival the love of woman” regarding “depth and absorbing energy” sheds more light into the man’s obsessions (par.1). As Aylmer noticed the differences between himself and the others where the mark was concerned, he also realized he could not relate his love for his wife and that of science. One had to surpass the other, and as a man was still obsessed with unity, it was only a matter of time before Aylmer intertwined his love for Georgiana “with his love of science and uniting the strength[s]” to his person (Hawthorne par.1). Extensively, Mary Rucker’s Science and Art in Hawthorne’s “The Birth-Mark” argues that Aylmer’s mistake was in his decision to direct ‘his attention to processes and compounds that have no obvious relation” (449). In other words, Aylmer begins to relate the possibility of unifying the diverse perceptions of the birthmark to the unity of his love for science and that of his wife. If he could love Georgiana as much as he loved science the birthmark would become irrelevant and for that reason, he attempts to create something that would rid Georgiana of her birthmark.
With the given facts in mind, the removal of the birthmark epitomizes Aylmer’s idea of unity between his wife and science and one that would bring his thoughts and those of society under one accord. Thus, he attempts to remove the birthmark several times only for him to fail. For instance, he tries to “throw” some perfume into the air, but that does not rid Georgiana of her mark (Hawthorne par.28). Eventually, he creates a drink and with the words “the [draft] has been perfect” hands the concoction to his wife hoping science will not deceive him (Hawthorne par.59). After Georgiana takes the drink, she sleeps, and Aylmer notices that birthmark has disappeared. The problem is, as “the crimson tint of the birthmark” was fading, Georgiana’s soul “took its heavenward flight”; thus ending Aylmer’s momentary jubilation (Hawthorne par.76). By that logic, Aylmer discovers “the dangers of seeking for unattainable perfection” because the desired unity is fleeting (Zanger 367). Yes, the birthmark is gone, but then Georgiana is dead, and the society would condemn Aylmer for his wife’s death.
In conclusion, as similar to many stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Birthmark is typified by symbolism through the narrative, but they all hold an underlying meaning in the context of Aylmer's behavior. Accordingly, the birthmark symbolizes mortality and imperfection in Hawthorne's work. Aylmer's attempts to ensure his wife's perfection ends in disaster as is evident in the reality that he becomes a widow because of his ill-placed efforts. When the mark fades, Georgiana dies and in the same way, when imperfection departs it can only mean that death is in place. Concurrently, the pursuit of satisfying Aylmer’s desires depicts everything he does in light of arrogance and self-satisfaction with little to no regard for his wife’ life. The man’s characteristics represent male chauvinism which, from a neutral perspective, suffices for male chauvinism. After all, his attempts to get rid of the mark shows that he sought perfection as opposed to nature and in that sense played God with Georgiana’s body. Such actions show pride and the willingness of the man to take any measure for the sake of his obsessions.
Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. "The Birth-Mark." 17 May 2012. The Project Gutenberg EBook of Little Masterpieces. Ed. Bliss Perry. Web. 11 May 2016. <http://www.gutenberg.org/files/39716/39716-h/39716-h.htm#The_Birthmark>.
Rucker, Mary E. "Science and Art in Hawthorne's "The Birth-Mark"." Nineteenth-Century Literature 41.4 (1987): 445-461. JSTOR. Web. <http://www.jstor.org>.
Zanger, Jules. "Speaking of the Unspeakable: Hawthorne's "The Birthmark"." Modern Philology 80.4 (1983): 364-371. JSTOR. Web. <http://www.jstor.org>.
