Obsession of Perfection Essay

The relentless pursuit of cosmos double-dyed(a)ion has always been an intrinsic trait of hu homo temper and lore has been a mean to achieve it. This statement brings us to the main whim of Hawthornes short tale The Birth-mark. It shows the invoice of a scientist who is obsessed with the remotion of his married womans birthmark, considering it a symbol of her human stigma. The Birth-mark is possibly influenced by Hawthornes times where light began to gain knowledge near our human and was considerably glorified, through scientific experiment, humankind backside discover, know, and do on the nose intimately any subject. As the narrator explains, In those days when the comparatively y egresshful discovery of electricity and other kindred mysteries of Nature seemed to open paths into the neighbourhood of miracle, in its depth and absorbing energy (Hawthorne 209). The authors fiction presents some critical issues about what it signifies to be human, how much science p eck tell us about the world, what happens when human beings attempt to subvert nature through science, and possibly more(prenominal) significantly, should we try to institute God in this manner.The Birth-mark like other stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne provides us with righteous completelyegories and much of the centre is through Hawthornes occasion of symbolism that addresses the themes such as treatment of science, humanitys flaws, and obsession with perfection. Hawthorne uses an intriguing plot and unique video in order to teach lessons about the imperfectability of mankind by examining at the misuse of science. Since Hawthorne is involved in the telling of a moral tale, it is catch to consider in this essay the ways The Birth-mark takes the moral to warn its readers about the dangers of science and obsession with perfection. Therefore, this essay will discuss the meaning of the more obvious lessons that Hawthornes short story The Birth-mark suggests, the imperfect natur e of humankind, the limitations that science has, and the contentment that humans should pull in on what they already possess.The main lawsuit Aylmer, a man of science an eminent proficient in every branch of natural philosophy (Hawthorne 209), suffers from a blind obsession about a detailed red birthmark resembling the shape of a exceed that his gorgeous married woman Georgiana has on her cheek. As Aylmer declares Ah, upon another face perhaps it might, replied her husband but never on yours. No, dearest Georgiana, you came so near perfect from the pass of Nature, that this slightest possible defect which we hesitate whether to term a defect or a beauty shocks me, as being the open mark of earthly imperfection (Hawthorne 209). He seeks to remove his wifes birthmark, the symbol of necessarily blemish humanity, and make her perfect.Georgianas birthmark represents mans imperfections, the very imperfections that make her human. The birthmark is deep ingrained in her face. It was the fatal flaw of humanity which Nature, in one shape or another, stamps ineffaceably on all her productions, either to imply that they are temporary and finite, or that their perfection must be wrought by toil and anguish (Hawthorne 211). We can assume that, symbolically, this passage implies that mans imperfections are deeply embedded in his nature. The Birthmark illustrates the flaws of mankind, but its some significant contract bridge is that to be human is inevitably to be flawed. To struggle for perfection is to span humans own nature, to deny what makes us human, and to achieve such perfection is essentially impossible. It becomes clear when the narrator of the story describes Georgianas remnant The fatal hand had grappled with the mystery of life, and was the bond by which an angelic tactile property kept itself in union with a mortal frame.As the function crimson tint of the birthmarkthat sole token of human imperfectionfaded from her cheek, the weakening bre ath of the now perfect woman passed into the atmosphere, and her soul, slack a moment near her husband, took its heavenward flight (Hawthorne 222), by eliminating Georgianas imperfection, Aylmer also liberates her of her humanity. Once she is perfect, once she is no longer flawed, Georgiana can no longer live. Hawthornes message is that being imperfect is just part of being human. If you are not flawed, you are not human anymore. It seems wherefore that the central lesson and underlying moral message behind this passage is that laborious to put a small mistake way up out of proportion, in attempt to create something perfect, only destroys a good thing and leave uswith the fatal consequences that come with senseless obsession of move perfection.Another example of a moral lesson that Hawthornes short story The Birth-mark suggests is that science really does have its limitations. There are certain things that humans are not privileged to know or capable of doing. It is not only arr ogant, the story seems to implies, but absolutely dangerous to try to play God. Much as he had strained, she could not but observe that his most spl stop overid successes were almost invariably failures His brightest diamonds were the merest pebbles, and felt to be so by himself, in comparison with the inestimable gems which lay hidden beyond his induce (Hawthorne 217). Aylmer cannot discover everything about Nature he has failed in his past experiments and he will fail again with Georgiana. One of the many morals of the story is that Nature carefully protects her secrets and cannot be overcome or even matched by man.As we discuss in the introduction of this essay, Hawthorne wrote The Birthmark at a time when the scientific method was being glorified and people were head start to think science really could take us anywhere we cute to go. The Birthmark is presenting Nature as the personified creator of all things, as a god. There are implications in the story about moral ethica l issues as science tests new drugs in human beings for instance, or scientists play to be god like in the case of human cloning. Finally, it delivers the moral about what happens when human beings attempt to challenge and alter nature that can and often will end in tragic consequences.Aylmers gorgeous wife, Georgiana is highly desirable because of her beauty. The narrator describes her, declaring Georgianas lovers were wont to say that some fairy at her birth hour had laid her tiny hand upon the infants cheek, to give her such sway over all hearts (Hawthorne 210). She is perfect in every way, except for one tiny flaw that Aylmer cant accept. At all the seasons which should have been their happiest, he invariably opened his eyes upon his wifes face and know the symbol of imperfection (Hawthorne 211). Aylmer is more and more bothered by hiswifes birthmark. He grows to find it utterly intolerable, and even describes it as the symbol of his wifes liability to sin, sorrow, decay, an d death (Hawthorne 211). The obsession with perfection blinds Aylmer to the admittedly beauty and humanity of his wife, showing the struggle between accepting her line up natural beauty and mans inability to perceive it and evaluate what nature has bestowed upon him.As the story revels through this important quote Do not repent you have rejected the best the earth could notch (Hawthorne 222). Hawthornes critical lesson is that Aylmer didnt recognize how lucky he was to have Georgiana. At the end of the story Aylmer is punished for being dissatisfied with a woman who pledged her love and entrusted her life to him, a woman whose informal and outer beauty he could not see and his discontentment photograph away the most perfect thing in his life, Georgiana. Contentment on what we have is the central lesson of this passage when sometimes it is enough to just shoemakers last a task, even if it is not perfect because striving to make it perfect could end up spoiling many things in the process.At the end of The Birthmark, Aylmer both succeeds and fails. He succeeds in that he finally rid his wife of her birthmark. He fails in thatshe is dead. Finally, this story involve mans impulse to prefect what is already perfect and the use of science as a flawed tool to attain this perfection. Sure, Georgiana dies right afterwards, but the fact remains that Aylmer does hence succeed in removing the birthmark from Georgianas cheek. What does this say about mans ability to conquer nature? The end justifies the means. You can use bad or immoral methods as long as you accomplish something good by using them. It is acceptable to do something bad in order to obtain something good?Works CitedHawthorne, Nathaniel. The Birth-mark. Pearson Custom Library doorway to Literature. Eds. Cain, Kathleen Shine, Kathleen Fitzpatrick, JN, et. al. Boston Pearson Learning Solution, 2013. 209-222. Print.