Introduction
Although people often strive to excel in their endeavors, always aiming for perfection may not be reasonable. In his short story “The Birthmark”, Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates the impracticality of searching for an absolute ideal. The narrative’s protagonist, Aylmer, is a man of science who believes that his wife, Georgiana, could have been flawless if she did not have a birthmark on her cheek (Espinoza and Tenorio 576). To clear off the birthmark, Aylmer conducts several experiments and eventually kills Georgiana (Espinoza and Tenorio 576). The theme broadly presented in “The Birthmark” concentrates on perfection and unravels the short story’s meaning of complete excellence, which is unnatural and depends on each individual’s perception.
The Theme of Perfection in The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The theme of perfection is portrayed through Aylmer’s view of his wife. The main character states that the birthmark could have been acceptable on any other face but not on Georgiana’s because she is nearly ideal (Hawthorne 2). Aylmer discovers he belongs to the type of masculine men who wish the world to have at least one flawless person (Hawthorne 3).
As a result, the protagonist acts disgusted with Georgiana’s appearance, thus putting into her head the idea of washing the birthmark away, regardless of the potential danger to her life (Hawthorne 5). At the same time, Georgiana never doubts her husband and remains loving and supportive of him (Hawthorne 9). Accordingly, Aylmer prioritizes his aspiration of excellence over his beautiful and devoted wife.
“The Birthmark” also presents the theme of perfection through Aylmer’s work. The main character is shown as a brilliant scientist with immense powers, such as the elixir of immortality (Hawthorne 8). Nonetheless, when Georgiana reads her husband’s journal of his scholarly endeavors, it is revealed that Aylmer has not achieved much in his pursuits (Hawthorne 9).
While having some successes, Aylmer’s achievements are flawed compared to the initially envisioned ideals (Hawthorne 9). Moreover, the records demonstrate that Aylmer understands his failures and cannot reach excellence (Hawthorne 9). However, despite Aylmer’s deficient work, he keeps demanding embodiment from his wife.
The theme of perfection explored in The Birthmark unravels the short story’s meaning, which has several explanations. First, the narrative demonstrates that excellence is somewhat unnatural. Aylmer refers to the birthmark as “a mark of earthly imperfection,” yet Georgiana passes away once he clears it off, indicating that embodiment cannot exist (Hawthorne 2). Furthermore, Espinoza and Tenorio note that the story illustrates how scientists’ quest for an ideal harms people with health-related dysfunction (576). Rather than focusing on overcoming imperfection, individuals with a disability should be encouraged to see life beyond their conditions (Espinoza and Tenorio 576).
Another intention of “The Birthmark” is to illustrate that excellence varies for everyone. For instance, upon seeing Georgiana, Aylmer’s assistant says that if she were his wife, he would never get rid of the birthmark (Hawthorne 6). Aylmer mentions that the birthmark could be a beauty or a defect (Hawthorne 2). Accordingly, the story has several meanings, concentrating on the idea that striving for an ideal is unreasonable.
Conclusion
To conclude, “The Birthmark”‘s theme of perfection demonstrates its meaning of embodiment being perceived differently by distinct individuals and being somewhat unattainable. Aylmer spends his life pursuing excellence in his wife and work, yet fails in his scientific endeavors and endangers his beautiful and loving spouse. The story suggests that society should be more accepting of other people’s flaws, which some may view as attractive features.
Works Cited
Espinoza, Marissa, and Addison Tenorio. “Defining Disability: Creating a Monster?” The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, vol. 47, no. 5, 2022, pp. 573-582. Web.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Birthmark. Philaletheians, 2017. Web.