Hawthornes Quest for Perfection - 761 Words

Women in today’s world use many scientific measures to look young, beautiful, and perfect. Some women even undergo surgeries to perfect their bodies. True natural beauty comes from within one’s self and not what is on the outside. While critics argue that Hawthorne’s â€Å"The Birth Mark,† â€Å"Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment,† and â€Å"Rappaccinni’s Daughter† stand as an overt commentary on nature vs. science, Hawthorne actually uses these works to explore personal familial connections. First of all, these three short stores deal with nature and science, but when one delves deeper into the stories, it becomes apparent that Hawthorne actually explores relationships among family members. These three works of writing portray Hawthorne’s thematic writing†¦show more content†¦For example, In â€Å"The Birth Mark,† Hawthorne writes about a woman named Georgiana and her birthmark on her cheek. This actually symboli zes what goes on in his own life with his wife, Sophia. Hawthorne’s wife Sophia had a miscarriage and it caused him to undergo a â€Å"sexual panic and arrestment† (Marshall 38). When Hawthorne wrote â€Å"The Birth Mark,† it was written to disguise â€Å"sexual anxiety as cosmetology† (Marshall 38). This coincided with the virginity of women. Women who lose their virginity have a crimson stain hence the crimson birthmark on Georgiana’s cheek. Meanwhile, â€Å"Rappaccini’s Daughter† focuses more on the human heart. Beatrice and Giovanni truly love each other even though they cannot physically be together. Even at her death she wants to save Giovanni. While she wants to save Giovanni, Hawthorne states, â€Å"he remains trapped in the situation that her death allows her to escape† (Wachtel). Giovanni is left alone and poisonous. Finally, â€Å"Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment† revolves around the effects of science on nat ure. Dr. Heidegger uses science to make his old friends young once again. His friends drink the concoction he created and they all begin to immediately turn into the younger versions of themselves right before his eyes. The elixir only lasts for a little while and then his friends end up old once again. Science caused the people to be young for a little while but in the end the elixir wore off and they went back to their original selves. Growing old is a partShow MoreRelated Comparing Artist of the Beautiful, Rappaccinis Daughter, Birthmark and Prophetic Pictures1051 Words   |  5 PagesComparing Perfection in Artist of the Beautiful, Rappaccinis Daughter, Birthmark and Prophetic Pictures In four of Hawthornes stories there is a struggle for power and control as a vehicle to obtain perfection or beauty. In The Artist of the Beautiful, Rappaccinis Daughter, The Birthmark and The Prophetic Pictures the characters are controlled by their desire for perfection in their creations, but they do not achieve their goals without sacrifice. In The Artist of the BeautifulRead MoreEssay about Analysis of quot;The Birthmarkquot;963 Words   |  4 Pageslot more important. They are a small minority. Most of us strive for perfection in appearances--it may be our own personal appearance defined by the perfect clothes and the perfect look, the perfect home we live in, or the perfect car we absolutely must have. People today are no different today than they were in the 19th century, and we get an in depth understanding of the obsession with being perfect in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Birthmark. This short story is about a devoted scientist who marriesRead MoreEssay about The Birthmark1138 Words   |  5 Pageshistory (Encarta). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;â€Å"The Birthmark,† like many of Hawthorne’s stories deals with the relationship between men and women. It is a love story where the quest for perfection leads to a tragic end. The protagonist, a scientist named Aylmer, attempts to attain perfection for his new wife Georgiana, by removing a birthmark resembling a small hand from her left cheek. Written in 1843, it was Hawthorne’s first work of fiction right after he married his wife, Sophia (Encarta)Read MoreScience vs. Nature as a Means of Obtaining Perfection in The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne848 Words   |  3 PagesAlthough we may mask our insecurities with false confidence and bravado, deep down most people crave perfection. As the majority of us learn as we age, this idea of â€Å"perfection† is unobtainable. The older we get, the more we tend to accept the flaws and imperfections that make us individuals. However, there are others who never learn the hard lesson of acceptance. Instead they spend ridiculous amounts of money on surgeries, creams and concoctions in order to rid themselves of these marks and insecuritiesRead MoreAnalysis Of Hawthorne s Conception Of Human Nature Through His Stories1347 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of Hawthorne’s Conception of Human Nature through his Stories Nathaniel Hawthorne was a brilliant writer of many stories, especially dealing with the nature of human beings, with themes including religion, perfection, and the natural world. His works have been lauded for their treatment of the human condition. Several stories, such as â€Å"The Birthmark†, â€Å"Rappaccini’s Daughter†, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, and â€Å"The Black Veil†, have been chosen to explain Hawthorne’s understanding of human natureRead MoreDifferent Colors Of Darkness By Nathaniel Hawthorne And Edgar Allen Poe995 Words   |  4 Pagesinspirations originate from opposite ends of the spectrum. Hawthorne’s works are the offspring of legalistic Puritan values and beliefs; on the other hand, Poe’s stories reflect godlessness. While the characters of both authors often face a grim destination, the writers show through their unique styles that the path to hopelessness can take many different routes. These contrasting motivations first surface in the authors’ tones. Hawthorne’s solemn words hearken to the Puritan mantra of stringent moralRead MoreThe Birthmark--Wicked Good Essay881 Words   |  4 Pages Too often in this world does man attempt to perfect nature. Tampering with this sort of element most commonly leads to a disaster to come extent. Because man is never satisfied, he is constantly vying for perfection, regardless of the outcome. Such is the case in Nathaniel Hawthornes short story, The Birthmark. Aylmers persistent attempt to perfect nature is the cause of Georgianas demise and the affirmation that when man tampers with such a powerful component terrible things may occurRead MoreThe Birth Mark By Nathaniel Hawthorne1730 Words   |  7 Pagesconsider the world today and how much plastic surgeons profit and customers pay, just to reflect an ideal image. This story is published in the eighteenth century, which depicts a mad scientist (Aylmer) who claims to have the ability to create perfection in the imperfect, Godly creation of his wife (Georgiana). The marriage union is without happiness because of a small birthmark on Georgiana’s cheek, which Aylmer aspir es to eliminate with his impeccable scientific expertise. In his short storyRead More Essay on The Value of Dreams in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown723 Words   |  3 Pages Young Goodman Brown:nbsp; The Value of Dreams Young Goodman Brownnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The Birthmarknbsp; nbsp;Nathaniel Hawthornes stories Young Goodman Brown and The Birthmark both make use of dreams to affect the story and reveal the central characters. With each story, the dreams presented are extremely beneficial to the development of the story as they give the reader a new view of the plot itself, or the characters within. At the same time, however, it becomes difficult to determineRead More Aylmers Struggle for Perfection in Nathaniel Hawthomes, The Birthmark2010 Words   |  9 PagesAylmers Struggle for Perfection in Nathaniel Hawthomes, The Birthmark Aylmers struggle for scientific perfection transcends human possibility in Nathaniel Hawthomes The Birthmark. He attempts to perfect that which nature rendered imperfect. When the quest for human achievement opposes divine design it has no chance of succeeding. This key element in Aylmers twisted love leads to the demise of what he seeks so desperately to perfect, his beautiful wife. Georgiannas fatal flaw of humanity