ENG 426
03 May 2019
Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark”: a Conflict between Physical Flawlessness and Virtue
This paper discusses the outlook of Aylmer to his wife Georgiana in Nathaniel
Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark”. Aylmer’s determination to remove Georgiana’s crimson birthmark shows his personality as a dominating man and also shows his outlook to his wife, Georgiana. Aylmer’s removal of his wife’s birthmark is the conflict between physical flawlessness and virtue. Aylmer’s outlook indicates that to become an ideal person physical perfection is important. He tries his best to make his wife perfect in this imperfect world. Thus, he brings ruin to his conjugal life. In this paper, I will ask some questions and try to find out the answers that will help me to develop my research in a more systematic manner.
The questions are: Is physical beauty important only for women? What was the view of 19th century patriarchal society to the physical beauty of a woman? Why does the conflict occur?
How does the conflict take place? Do physical flaws interrupt the acceptability of a person?
What does the removal of the birthmark signify? Aylmer’s attitude and thought about human qualification are erroneous. His attitude to the criteria of qualification of a human being is the most debatable issue. His removal of his wife’s birthmark to beautify and to make her as a physical flawless human being is liable for the death of Georgiana. In this paper, I will also focus on the historical and social context to discuss the reasons behind the conflict between physical flawlessness and virtue in Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark.” Thus, in this research I will clarify and show the conflict.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark”, the central character of the story, Georgiana, has a crimson birthmark on her left cheek that resembles a bloody hand. The hand is the very source that is considered to be the most argumentative issue and it ultimately brings tension and anxiety to the life of the two characters, Georgiana and her husband, Aylmer. Actually, both of them do not take the birthmark as a natural happening. Instead, they appear to be the victim of inferiority complex because of the birthmark. That is why, Aylmer decides to remove the mark from his wife’s face which ultimately ends with a shocking result, Georgiana’s death. However, this perfection seeking tendency is still existing in today’s society, even in an acute way. Science is advancing day by day and Aylmer as a scientist tries to utilize his scientific knowledge to bring about a change in the natural world which is full of flaws and imperfection. I think any person can be virtuous or any object can be acceptable in form and appearance with a little bit imperfection. However, the common tendency among a number of people is that they always try to be perfect and want to see everything in a perfect form. In “The Birthmark”, both physical and spiritual aspects of human being have come to the reader with the physical flaw of Georgiana. The spiritual aspect of beauty has been blurred when Aylmer has intended to see his wife flawless in appearance. Such perfection-seeking tendency is still a dominating force in the present world that makes a crucial debate among the people of the world. An anxiety regarding women’s body is also seen in the story which also indicates that how women are treated in different societies in different ages. Besides, the representation of Georgiana’s body and the attempt to modify it by removing her birthmark is also an indication of how women’s body are controlled in the society. What is more, Georgiana’s womanhood is also challenged when we see that she has to go through the process of modifying her body. In this point, physical perfection takes the upper hand in the society and demeans the idea of virtue or spiritual beauty at a large extent
The life of Aylmer and Georgiana would have been more blossomed and peaceful if the wife, Georgiana, had not possessed a crimson color mark on her cheek. Aylmer and Georgiana were happily married but their happiness doesn’t last long, and it turns out to be a nightmare, especially for the wife. The birthmark on her cheek actually adds beauty to her personality. Besides, she seems to be perfect in her way of taking care of her marital life. She gains a lot of appreciation from her small social gathering and everyone admires her beauty. On the other hand, Aylmer considers his wife’s physical flaws rather than her virtue. His approach to love and beauty determines what kind of person he is. His experiment of controlling the birthmark and removing it altogether makes him more imperfect as a person. Aylmer keeps his attention to perfecting the physical appearance that his wife possesses instead of appreciating and perfecting their relationship. He forgets the necessity of catering to his beloved’s emotion. Rather, he disrespects the beauty of morality and in the end his carelessness brings nothing but unhappiness and mental turmoil in their life. Actually, his idea of perfection is a trap that ends up captivating him behind its dark and devastating bars of ruin. This is how, perfection becomes fatal and devastating for his family life. His action provides a lesson for his readers that have ambitions to gain ultimate perfection. Ignoring abstract qualities of a human being, he puts much emphasis on physical beauty which is temporary and can potentially be catastrophic. However, a person should be qualified for his or her virtue. But, in Georgiana’s case, her husband considers her physical perfection over her human qualities. So, here her body is objectified by her husband, Aylmer, and his attitude to his wife conflicts with virtue. Aylmer is obsessed with the physical beauty and he relentlessly runs after his obsession which can be viewed as his biggest flaw in the story, “The Birthmark”. It is almost impossible for a person who is obsessed with such inaccurate idea of beauty and quality to look to the consequences which can be destructive and opposite to the humanity too. People often forget that perfection can be dreamed and hoped, but it is
unachievable most of the time. Moreover, obsession for perfection, beauty or any other worldly objects ends in vain because all these things are subjected to decay and they will lead toward the destruction, decadence and spiritual death of human being. In addition, being human and perfect at the same time is beyond our capacity. People in the world tend to be flawed and imperfect, but they still can be spiritually rich when they practice virtue in their life. One of the reasons why female bodies are endangered is the priority of their male counterparts’ to perfection, especially physical perfection. It is evident that Georgiana, the worst victim in the story, knows how destructive the attempt to remove her birthmark can be, but she cannot but submit herself to the wishes of her husband. As we find in the story:
“Aylmer, resumed Georgiana, solemnly, I know not what may be the cost to both of us to rid me of this fatal birthmark. Perhaps its removal, she said, may cause cureless deformity; or it may be the stain goes as deep as life itself” (Hawthorne 292). These lines depict that despite knowing the result of the scientific experiment to remove the birthmark, Georgiana cannot protest vehemently. If she had had a strong voice in the society, she could have been protested the decision made by her husband. Throughout the text, there are a number of lines that express how vulnerable she is.
Aylmer’s attitude shows that a woman’s physical perfection is the most important quality of a human being which should be considered when people intend to qualify a person. Though Nathaniel Hawthorne tried to portray the picture of 19th century male-dominated society through the outlook of Aylmer in “The Birthmark”, the objectification of female body still exists in 21st century modern society all over the world (Fetterly 725). In the book
Women in Sexist Society, Gornich and K. Moran comment about the everyday scenario of the people’s outlook to women’s body. They say: “Every day, in every way the billion-dollar beauty business tells women that they are monsters in disguise” (192). The attitude of Aylmer before and after his marriage to Georgiana is totally different. As Georgiana says to Aylmer:
“Why did you take me from my mother’s side? You cannot love what shocks you”
(Hawthorne 290). Aylmer presents himself as a reformer of his wife’s bodily flaws. He should consider the virtue of his beloved, but he is not willing enough to think about his wife in this way. Hawthorne’s such characterization indicates that the social attitude of 19th century male figures to women’s bodies was not rational and women’s bodies were often objectified. In the book “Speaking of the Unspeakable: Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark”, Jules Zanger says: “Her ‘imperfection’ remains impervious, as long as she lives, to his technology, his reason, and his love. Aylmer, who would transform her into the objectification of his desire, is an extension of his male self, and is disturbed by the crimson stain in which her feminine individuality is expressed” (370). In “Women Beware Science: “The Birthmark” ”, Judith Fetterly shares her idea about Aylmer’s personality and outlook. To Aylmer, who is a representative of male-dominated society, a woman’s physical perfection should gain priority before her virtue. His belief suggests that physical perfection precedes the human virtue and quality. Such consideration insists Aylmer on removing the birthmark from Georgiana’s cheek and Aylmer’s attitude to human perfection conflicts with the human virtue. He behaves with his wife in the way a consumer does a business product. In addition, Aylmer uses his wife as a guinea pig in his scientific research. To use his wife in his dangerous scientific research shows that he does not care his own wife’s life. Aylmer’s continuous pressure over his wife to remove the birthmark is totally unethical as well as brutal. In Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark”, Georgiana’s inability to protest against Aylmer’s deeds indicates the subservience of the women in the then American society (725).
To get the answer to my first question whether physical beauty matters only for women or not, it can be said that the word ‘beauty’ holds such a meaning that cannot be described in a word or sentence. In most of the societies in the world, it is expected that women must possess a beautiful body that can satisfy their male counterparts. Besides,
women are encouraged or at times pressured to have a beautiful appearance. On the other hand, the obligation to have a beautiful or flawless body for men does not work in men’s dominating world. However, because of wrong outlook or insight to the idea of beauty, many people fall victim to the issues relating to the ides of beauty and perfection. Actually, the real beauty is to have a beautiful soul. That is why, I believe that it is our soul that should matter not our bodies. In “The Birthmark”, we see that the concept of beauty and perfection is applied to female bodies not those of men. Therefore, it is neither moral nor logical to relate the concept of beauty only to female bodies. Throughout the history of human civilization, female body has often been an object of adoration and admiration. However, at the same time it has been the source of passion, shame and anxiety. Today, a huge number of women enjoy their emancipation and have full right over their bodies, but the scenario was not the same in the 19th century society in different parts of the world.
Hawthorne beautifully discusses the outlook of 19th century patriarchal society of America and Europe in the text “The Birthmark”. In the book Women in Sexist Society, Gornich Vivian critically discusses the condition of 19th century American society. Man was the controller of the woman in the then American society. As the economic power was at man’s hand, women were obliged to fulfill the wishes of their master-like counterparts. Because of the absence of women’s self-economic-development and self-reliance in the 19th century American society, they were vulnerable economically as well as socially. Women could not go forward to ensure their human rights in the 19th century American society. In Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark”, Aylmer represents the role of 19th century patriarchal society of America and he makes Georgiana serve the purpose of a doll. Georgiana does not have a free personality to express her wishes and expectations in her family as well as in the society.
In addition, to make her husband happy, Georgiana has to be ready to do anything whatever her husband wishes. Like other women, she is one of the victims of 19th century patriarchal
society of America. The images Hawthorne uses in “The Birthmark” reveal his connection with many of the everyday concerns of the common culture, from superstition, to the social deviation occasioned by industrialization, to the sexual taboo of the time (192).
To get the answer to the questions why and how the two opposite ideas, physical flawlessness and virtue, conflict in the story, we find that Aylmer is rigid in his position regarding the removal of his wife’s birthmark. His stiff-necked approach to the mere flaw and his dominance over his female counterpart make him decide to provide priority to the physical perfection. In this world, there are millions of people who are virtuous despite their flaws and shortcomings. Conflicts occur most of the time when we present virtues and shortcomings as opposite to each other. We see that at one stage Aylmer manages to make Georgiana believe that she will lose her vitality to him if she does not abide by her husband regarding the removal of the birthmark. That is why, she tries her best to satisfy her husband’s heart at any cost. It is not impossible for a person to spend an entire life with an individual who has physical flaws or even a few shortcomings which are difficult for others to endure. Aylmer could be indifferent to the physical imperfection of his wife and pass his life in a happy way. However, he appears to the reader as an individual who does not pay any attention to his wife’s other qualities- her love, affection and loyalty to her beloved husband. The conflict occurs when he puts more important to the beauty and physical perfection. Georgiana’s crimson birthmark is a usual part of nature and we can see the conflict between nature and science regarding her birthmark. Hawthorne uses the word, “nature”, numerous times to relate it to control over it, imperfection of it, and above all to show the strength of it.
To describe the intolerability of the birthmark, Hawthorne says: “It was the fatal flaws of humanity which Nature in one shape or another, stamps ineffaceably on all her productions, either to imply that they are temporary or finite, or that the perfection must be wrought by toil or pain” (Hawthorne 297). It is noteworthy that Hawthorne capitalizes the word, ‘Nature’, to
signify the word and to depict a contrast between nature and science which is not capitalized. We humans are defined by our flaws and shortcomings and when science interferes with this natural activities, we lose our originality and ultimately fade ourselves away. Aylmer attempts to remove the birthmark with the help of science and in the end he succeeds to do so. However, this incident of removing the birthmark kills his wife. The incident also demonstrates the shortness of life and it also tells us how important it is to love someone along with their flaws and shortcomings. Georgiana’s birthmark is a symbol of human imperfection and shortcomings, therefore, we must accept and celebrate the imperfections rather than trying to remove it. It is not wise to say that it is mandatory for an individual to be perfect and to be free from every kind of flaws and shortcomings, rather people should normalize the physical flaws and put much emphasis on virtues, ethics and all other qualities that really depict who we are and how we are. Another question also arises: Do physical flaws interrupt the acceptability of a person? Actually, it is difficult to say that someone is human and perfect at the same time. It is beyond our ability to achieve complete perfection as a human being. By nature we are full of flaws and mistakes. Some of us come to this world with physical or mental imperfection. On the other hand, some other develop flaws by the course of time. To try to make someone perfect is not only impossible but also this endeavor takes away the very essence of being a human being. In Hawthorn’s “The Birthmark”, we get the teaching that a person can be perfect in his or her own way. We see that Georgiana wants to keep her physical appearance unchanged. Nevertheless, it is her husband who has forced her to go through the changing that ultimately ruins her life for good. Georgiana is still happy with her mere physical flaws, but she is not admired by her husband because she possesses a birthmark on her face. A person’s physical imperfection has nothing to do with his or her acceptability in the society. However, people like Aylmer always mismatch the idea of being virtuous with the idea of
being perfect. Besides, the go of the age also plays a crucial role in making the parameters of a person’s acceptability. We must keep in our mind that it was 19th century when Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote this story. To understand the inner message of the story, we must be aware of the events and circumstances of the then time. This paper has already included the views of different literary critics to show that how a person is evaluated in that period of time in the then society. A judicious person cannot prefer physical beauty or any other earthly things to the virtues that an individual possesses. There is no logic that can justify that the physical appearance and its beauty can be a hindrance to the acceptance of any person. That is why, it can be undoubtedly said that any individual should be valued depending on his or her spirituality, ethics or values.
Aylmer considers himself to be the supreme authority who has the actual right to change the physical appearance of his wife. What if he continues his conjugal life with his wife whose face is adorned naturally with a crimson birthmark? As a dominating husband, he is not willing to avoid the clash regarding the idea of justice. To Aylmer, physical perfection symbolizes a person’s quality and he considers the bodily beauty is superior to the inner qualities of a human being. Aylmer tells Georgiana that she came so nearly perfect from the hand of nature that the slightest possible defect, which he hesitates whether to term a defect or a beauty, shocks him, as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection (290). He also tells her that he has spent much thought upon the subject and he is convinced of the perfect practicability of its removal (293). His intention to remove the birthmark challenges the established rules of nature that everything in this world has some imperfections. He ignores the human virtue that is the most important thing to judge a person. Thus, he makes an inevitable conflict regarding human quality. The birthmark on Georgiana’s face is an allegory of life. To vanish the birthmark is to take her soul away from her body. In the story, we find that Georgiana says: “Aylmer, spare me not, though you should find the birthmark take
refuge in my heart at last” (295). At the beginning of the story Georgia is not agree with Aylmer about the removal of her birthmark. However, in the course of time she submits herself to the decision of her husband. As Aylmer feels disgust about the birthmark of his wife, the vulnerable Georgiana has to satisfy her husband’s desire. In addition, Aylmer wants to spiritualize his wife because he thinks that the flaw of Georgiana is a sign of unholy things and sin. Moreover, for the vulnerable position in the society Georgiana cannot resist her husband. So, to satisfy his very wish, Aylmer applies his experiment on her and thus he puts much importance on physical perfection rather than Georgiana’s virtue. Aylmer’s professional, psychological and physical features are the manifestations of his manly superior nature. Aylmer is a complicated flawed character and he compares himself to Pygmalion, a mythological figure who successfully made one of his beloved sculptures assumed life. Before his successful removal of the birthmark, Aylmer is quite convinced that he will surely be successful in removing his wife’s physical flaw, the birthmark. Even, he expresses that it will be an ecstasy for him to remove the birthmark. However, there are a number of differences between Pygmalion and Aylmer. Aylmer is not the creator of his wife, Georgiana, rather he interferes with such an object that has already been made by the creator. In addition, his intelligence and scientific ability are enough to do the physical modification of his wife. As it is evident in his claim: “I feel myself fully competent to render this dear cheek as faultless as its fellow; and then, most beloved, what will be my triumph when I shall have corrected what Nature left imperfect in her fairest look” (296). That is why, bringing a change in the form of his wife’s physical structure is an intended desire of Aylmer and thus he can show his manliness and authority over his female counterpart. Moreover, Aminadab, Aylmer’s assistant in his laboratory, also plays a crucial part in the story. The assistant is a symbol of manliness and superiority too. Being the assistant of Aylmer, he actually furthers the destruction of Georgiana. Aminadab is so important a character as he symbolizes the
earthly, physical and erotic self that has been split off from Aylmer that he refuses to recognize as part of himself, and that has become monstrous and grotesque.
In the book “Women Beware Science: “The Birthmark”, Judith Fatterly expresses that Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” discusses that in the society where Aylmer and Georgiana lives, physical flawlessness is the most significant quality that is needed to be accepted and qualified as an ideal female. For Georgiana there is no room to stay in the heart of Aylmer. Aylmer cannot accept the natural flaws of humankind. Moreover, He considers the birthmark as a sign of Georgiana’s sin. Such heinous treatment of Aylmer to Georgiana makes her vulnerable and unacceptable in their conjugal life. Women are programmed to deny the validity of their own perceptions and responses and to accept male illusions as truth. It should also be kept in our mind that the victim of physical flaws, Georgiana, has no political and economic power. As a result, she has nothing to do against the brutal treatment of her husband. Whereas all people should have been treated on the basis of their virtue, moral quality, and actions, Georgiana has been treated on the basis of her physical beauty and perfection. The male-dominated society sets the physical beauty and perfection as the ‘litmus test’ test to qualify a person. The implicit feminism in “The Birthmark” is also considerable. At one level, the story is a study of sexual politics of the powerlessness of women and of the psychology which results from the powerlessness. Hawthorne dramatizes the fact that the women’s identity is a product of men’s responses to her. In “The Birthmark” it is Georgiana’s crimson birthmark on her left cheek that is considered by her husband as an interruption for both Georgiana and Aylmer in the then society. To settle his place as a master, Aylmer focuses on his wife’s bodily perfection rather than considering her love, virtue, and all other qualities (725).
The conflict between physical flawlessness and virtue reaches its peak when Aylmer starts his scientific test on Georgiana’s left cheek to remove her birthmark. As a mortal being
it is very natural that humans have physical flaws. The world is not a place for perfect human being. The decision of Aylmer to make his wife totally perfect is like to invite the nature to a war. So, he wants to become the god-like figure by correcting the physical flaws of Georgiana. Aylmer also fails to admire the most beautiful thing, a pure love, by making the toughest decision to do a modification to his wife’s face. Georgiana repents for the decision that her husband has made. Actually, Aylmer has lost the best and the most beautiful assets by conducting his fatal experiment on his wife. At the last part of the story we find that addressing him as the poor Aylmer, Georgiana tells him with a more than human tenderness that he has aimed loftily and has done his experiment nobly. She also urges him not to repent that with so high and pure a feeling that he has rejected the best the earth could offer him.
(Hawthorne 301). Out of her frustration, she expresses a last few sentences that really depict how vulnerable she is. However, in the end, Aylmer has become able to conduct his experiment successfully to get a flawless body, but it ends in vain as there is no life in it.
In the book “Speaking of the Unspeakable: Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” ”, Jules Zanger describes Aylmer’s complex relationship as well as his attitude to his wife.
Jules Zanger says:
“Aylmer, in turn, may be said to have transformed himself into a perfect and uxorious husband by elevating his wife into a scientific problem to be solved. Its result is, if not marital happiness, at least a feverish compatibility, a temporary symbiosis that finally degenerates into vampirism. In this regard it is important to recognize that the purity of Aylmer's quest for perfection is compromised by his desperate need for a sustaining success” (Zanger 366).
The removal of the birthmark ends in the death of Georgiana’s life. Georgiana has not been accepted by her husband and some other female figures in the then society. So, I can say that the removal of the birthmark and its destructive result are the indications of the negligence of
human virtues and here virtue conflicts with the idea of physical flawlessness. The paper focuses that virtue should be the ‘litmus-test’ to justify the personality of an individual. In Georgiana’s case, her husband, Aylmer, does not consider his wife’s virtue, rather he always wants his wife to be perfect physically rather than morally. He puts much emphasis on physical flawlessness and keeps Georgiana’s virtue aside. The desire of Aylmer depicts the unrealistic expectations for flawless beauty in women that are still pervasive in numerous societies in the world even in this twenty first century. Aylmer’s such expectations make Georgiana experience psychological, physical and social distress in her lifetime and ultimately lead her to the path of death. The ambitious Aylmer’s wish to make his wife physically flawless conflicts with the established rule and features of the natural world and it also dishonors the quality of human being. The birthmark on Georgiana’s cheek is not a mere flaw, rather it is a symbol that reminds everyone that the natural world is decorated with the flaws and perfection, good and evils, beauty and ugliness. The natural world should be kept as it is and none should interfere with the natural occurrences. The overuse of faulty or inappropriate scientific experiment is also questioned in the story. It is true that science and scientific research have brought uncountable blessing for human being. Despite a number of benefits, it is not wise to apply science everywhere unwisely. As a scientist, Aylmer has crossed the demarcation line of natural world and endeavored to bring about a change in the natural world and activities in it. As nature is beautiful and perfect with the flaws and imperfection in it, it will be a foolish endeavor to try to make any change to it. Attempting to make any unwise change in it will end in vain and destruction. There are many thematic aspects In “The Birthmark” that can be considered while analyzing the text. However, physical flawlessness becomes the driving force that one can find in every aspects of the story- science versus nature, flaws versus perfection, beauty versus ugliness, spirituality versus worldliness, good versus evil, and manhood versus womanhood. It can also noticeable
that virtues are ignored repeatedly by Aylmer in the story. The loyalty, love, caring, belief of a woman, Georgiana, has no place in her husband’s life. Virtues have not been esteemed as they should be. Physical flawlessness has no place in the life of Aylmer. Thus, the concept of physical flawlessness clearly conflicts with the virtue of human being. Whereas physical beauty is a natural and God-gifted quality of a person, virtue depicts the achievement of a noble human being. Though Aylmer always esteems physical flawlessness, virtue should always remain the standard and the most desirable parameter to qualify any individual. In the conflict between physical perfection and virtue, physical perfection or flawlessness should not be considered over virtue of the human being. It is virtue that makes an individual and shows what actually he or she is.
Works Cited
Fetterley, Judith. “Women Beware Science: “The Birthmark”.” Literary Resources of Gale 2006. pp. 724-25.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Birthmark.” The Norton Introduction to literature. Norton and Company, 2013, pp. 290-302.
Vivian, Gornich, and K. Moran. Women in Sexist Society. New York Basic Books. 1971, p. 192.
Zanger, Jules. “Speaking of the Unspeakable: Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark”.” The University of Chicago Press. Vol. 80, no. 04, 2011, pp. 364-71.