Human Duality and Vision of Beauty in Hawthorne's "The Birthmark" - Literary Analysis Essay

Introduction

Hawthorne's "The Birthmark" is one of the most memorable and haunting short stories in the history of the American literature. One of the main reasons Hawthorne's "The Birthmark" is still popular nowadays is its universal message. Exploring the duality of human nature Hawthorne argues that being human is being somehow flawed and yet filled with higher aspiration, thus spirit is much more important than appearance and should be valued above all.

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A married couple, a brilliant scientist Aylmer and his beautiful wife Georgiana are symbols of two completely different approaches to life and to other people. At the beginning of the short story Aylmer explains why he is so much dissatisfied with his wife's birthmark saying that he sees it as "the fatal flaw of humanity" (Hawthorne 179) going on to reveal that he believes it to be "the symbol of his wife's liability to sin, sorrow, decay, and death," (Hawthorne 179) and that it makes him experience "more trouble and horror than ever Georgiana's beauty, whether of soul or sense, had given him delight" (Hawthorne 179). This insight helps the reader paint a portrait of a man nobly striving to make the world better and yet unable to appreciate it as it is. As a result of his short-sightedness, Aylmer brings about the death of his wife. Georgiana, on the contrary, possesses a rare gift of seeing the best side of human nature which is best illustrated closer to the end of the short story: "Her heart exulted, while it trembled, at his honorable love - so pure and lofty that it would accept nothing less than perfection" (Hawthorne 190). Thus, Georgiana turns out to be a much better person than her husband as she is able to appreciate the spiritual over the material.

The interesting thing about this short story is the fact that ' chose a woman to be a protagonist and her husband, a man, was made an antagonist. This choice could be inspired by Hawthorne's deep and true admiration for his wife Sophia, who became his life-long muse and friend. It could also be prompted by the proto-feminist sentiments within the American Romanticism movement. In any case, in those times changes, reforms, scientific research and innovation were clearly associated with the male beginning, while women were still seen as homemakers and companions to men. Thus, Hawthorn's choice seems only too natural if one keeps in mind the writer's romantic ambition to show that progress is not always a good thing.

Conclusion

The message of the short story seems to be especially relevant today as in the modern world shaped by the mass media and huge advertising campaigns the human appearance is valued over anything else. Glamorous magazines are imposing upon young people the Barbie doll standards which are eagerly kept up by the show business industry. In pursuit of absolute, spotless beauty women resort to extreme means including dieting and plastic surgery, often harming their physical and spiritual health. The shallow stereotypes replicated by the actors and singers make women feel like they are not enough as they are. Ageism, sizeism and other types of prejudice are all proof of the fact that the modern society still judges people by the way they look. Just like in Hawthorne's short story, innovation plays a destructive role nowadays as well. For example, Facebook makes people obsessed with comparing their life with the lives of others and chase after the perfect lifestyle that will make others like them more. Hawthorn's short story is a perfect remedy for such people as it tells its readers: perfection is an illusion, the real beauty is inside us.

Work Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Hawthorne's Short Stories. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2011.