Essay On Gender Norms In The Birthmark

In “The Birthmark”, a short story by Nathanial Hawthorne, the use of the archetypal conflict Nature vs. Science, the character of Damsel in Distress, and the symbol of the Incurable Wound show how easily beauty is overlooked in the endeavor for perfection.

In the article “Marked Women,” Deborah Tannen addresses how everything a woman does-from choosing her outfit, her makeup, her hair, to even her surname marks her a certain way. As a young woman, I liked this piece because it addressed issues women faced that I typically don’t think about. I chose to write about “Marked Women” instead of “Sexism in English” because I related more to the article with my past and current experiences on the different ways women are marked in society. Women are judged every day based upon their decisions on their outfits and looks. Tannen states in the article, “you couldn’t say the men didn’t wear makeup in the sense that you could say a woman didn’t wear makeup,” which made me realize how even something as

In the piece “The Birthmark” it is impossible and foolish to try to reach perfection. Because we all have been stamped with the imperfections of nature when Adam and Eve took a bite from the tree in the garden of Eden…..

The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne is trying to communicate some important ideas about a variety of themes, he articulates a few weighty themes around this brief argument: the struggle between science and nature. In a story full of successful and almost magical scientific experiments, it is intact nature itself that is more powerful than any creation made by man. As is to be expected, this path to perfection also includes the creation of life and the victory over death. In the birthmark Aylmer does not see, like others who pretended Georgiana's hand before him, a singularity that accentuates her immaculate beauty. He sees in that crimson little hand an indication of decay and death. And also of immorality and sin, in tune with the belief

In The Birthmark the story begins with the challenge Aylmer is facing. He wants to mix his love for science with the love he has for his wife. The only way he can do this is by removing his wife birthmark that’s holding her back from being perfect. Aylmer oppresses his wife in a symbolic way by making her feel bad about her birthmark. Aylmer begins to speak with Georgiana and asks her “...has it never occurred to you that the mark upon your cheek might be removed?” (1). This the start of him pestering his wife and making her feel about herself. He does this to get her to agree with him about removing the birthmark. To answer Aylmer’s question, Georgiana replies by saying “To tell you the truth it has been so often called a charm that I was

In “The Birthmark” the relationships and behaviors of the character reveal much more than the story itself does. The characters of Aylmer, Georgian, Amenidab and Nature itself, through their words, actions, and behaviors give insight into a much more meaningful story. A deeper analysis of the characters reveals that they are archetypes, and as archetypes they provide a deeper hidden meaning to the story. By looking at Aylmer, Georgiana, Amenidab and Natures relationships and actions throughout the story we can see how they are used to give deeper significance.

There are many people out there who get married for the wrong reasons, and the wrong time. The scientist Aylmer, in “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Married his wife at first for all the right reasons. Her name was Georgiana, she was born with a genetic birthmark on her face. It was in the shape of a small hand, many people liked it. Said to have shown her personality, and a figure that represents her. Aylmer a philosopher began to try and change his wife. What started out as a happy and wonderful marriage turned into a nightmare.

Written by Nathaniel Hawthorne during the American Renaissance, the short story “The Birth-Mark” details the events of a brilliant scientist and natural philosopher named Aylmer who obsesses about his wife Georgiana’s birthmark in the shape of a tiny hand on her left cheek. The symbol of the birthmark causes the plot to advance in the story, as Aylmer is compelled by this red mark to act upon his emotions. Aylmer views his wife’s birthmark as an imperfection in her virtually flawless beauty and as a result, attempts to it via a potion that he strongly believes cannot fail. His interpretation of the birthmark creates conflict in the story, which is shaped by the symbolic meaning that he attributes it to. Aylmer’s failure to accept his wife’s appearance for who she is leads to misunderstandings, pain, and ultimately, death.

Can you imagine a world without imperfections? A world where everyone is perfect is unattainable, but if scientifically there were a way to eliminate imperfections and life threatening diseases, presumably, many people would be curious. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Birthmark,” the author explores the idea of perfection with the help of science. Modern examples of this are mentioned in articles posted on NPR.org and time.com, genetically modifying DNA in human embryos has become largely controversial. By using a method called CRISPR, first, it identifies the defective gene, and then it cuts and repairs the gene, not only for that embryo, but for generations to come. With all the scientific knowledge that we are gaining, we

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "The Birthmark," there are many views on the need for science and its advances. Hawthorne's protagonist, Aylmer, illustrates his own personal assessment of science. The story is based on the idea that science can solve all of humanities ills and problems. Hawthorne believes that science is overrunning life. Aylmer is consumed by his passion of overtake Mother Nature. The story shows how Aylmer's passion leads to not only his downfall but that of his wife Georgiana as well. The belief that science can solve and do anything is one of ignorance because it totally disregards the human element of spirituality.

How far are women willing to go in order to reach the idea of perfection, and how does this desire affect their physical and emotional state? In the gothic story “The Birthmark”, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Georgiana is a beautiful woman who marries a mad scientist named Aylmer. Her husband views her as perfection except for the small red handprint looking birthmark on her left cheek. He always stares at the small hand and then proceeds to manipulate the way she views her birthmark. Georgiana eventually gives in and allows her husband to do whatever it takes in order to remove the hand. By suddenly obsessing over meeting perfection, she ends up dead. In society today, many women, especially teenage girls, are constantly looking at this

By looking at symbolism in The Birthmark, the reader can interpret that the birthmark is a symbol for imperfection and mortality which is not obvious to most people. This is important because it turns the birthmark into something all readers can relate to since no one is perfect. Georgiana’s birthmark was “the fatal flaw of humanity which Nature, in one shape or another, stamps ineffaceably on all her productions” (Hawthorne 12). As stated before, nothing is perfect, Nature has a flaw on everything and Georgiana’s was her birthmark. Her husband, Aylmer, notices the birthmark and also sees it as an imperfection even though other men would often tell her it was a charm. “No, dearest Georgiana, 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” (Hawthorne 11). Aylmer at first is the only one, other from jealous women, to point out her birthmark as an imperfection but his constant talk began to make her believe she was in fact flawed. This is important because it ultimately leads to the death of Georgiana.

Although “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne was written in the mid-1800s, its themes and ideas are still a part of society today. The 19th century was a time of change, just as this, the millennium, is a time of great change. Hawthorne’s ideas about science, beauty, and life still play a major part in our lives, despite many improvements. Even today, people try to play “God” and change things that nature has put in place. It’s human curiosity; how much can be changed, how many things can be perfected? The themes in this short story-- religion, gender, and science--were relevant in Hawthorne’s day, and still are many years later. The theme of religion is hidden in the desire to erase

There are several sources that tell a person how to be a man or woman. Science tells us by recognizing the X or Y chromosomes. The media shows us through the physically ideal celebrities that grace the covers of magazines and flaunt their bodies in commercials. Sports, wrestling, cars, and blue for the boys. Dresses, make-up, painted nails, and pink for the girls. All of these sources, as well as others, have evolved into an expectation that has become institutionalized within society. This expectation, is placement and belonging into the binary system of person: the man or the woman. In Anne Fausot-Sterling's acrticles “The Five Sexes” and the “The Five Sexes, Revisited”, the

Imagine this: You’re a newlywed and you think that you’ve finally found someone to love and accept you for who and what you are. However, after the honeymoon, they look you dead in your eyes and say “You know that one thing you do? I hate it and you need to change.” Or even worse, they look at you and say “You know, you’re really ugly.” That’s exactly what Aylmer does to his wife in the “The Birthmark,” a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Aylmer, is a man of science that at the beginning of the story, decides that it is time for him to leave his laboratory and find a wife. He eventually marries a woman by the name of Georgiana. She has a birthmark on her cheek in the shape of a hand, which Aylmer, oddly enough, did not notice