In “the Birthmark” Hawthorne introduces the character Georgianna who’s soul flaw is a birthmark on her face. Every other characteristic of Georgianna is perfect. Her husband Aylmer loves science and questions her one flaw, her birthmark. He suggests that he should try and remove it.
When the moment comes and Aylmer finally does remove her Birthmark, everything evolves. When Aylmer announces, “My peerless bride, it is successful! You are perfect!” (1627) Immediately following the removing of the Birthmark, Georgianna dies. Once again Hawthorne uses a woman as the possessor of an evil characteristic, but it is Aylmer’s insistence on trying to distort nature which leads to the death of his wife. Aylmer is the character who possesses the evil flaw, he insists that the Birthmark must be removed. And therefore it is obvious that Hawthorne doesn’t direct his evil characteristics only on women. Evil is at the root of the story in ” The Birthmark” for it is here that Hawthorne writes about the most sinful character.
In all of the seven deadly sins committed by man; the deadliest of all is pride. Priding ones self is terrible but carrying this vanity to another can be deadly. After reading ” The Birthmark” the character Aylmer finds for himself that pride costed him dearly, he lost his lovely wife. Aylmer is representative of the sin pride. Hawthorne describes the character in such a way that Aylmer portrays himself as Godlike. The character Aylmer is evil because according to Hawthorne ” He had devoted himself, however, too unreservedly to scientific studies ever to be weaned from them by any second passion.” .
Is this the possible pride that leads a man to be considered evil? Yes, according to evidence in the story Hawthorne makes the character Aylmer in human by taking away his passion for his wife and having it replaced by passion for only his work. Hawthorne describes Aylmer preoccupation with perfecting his wifes beauty in the story when writing ” At all the seasons which should have been their happiest, he invariably and without intending it, nay, in spite of a purpose to the contrary reverted to this one disastrous topic.” . Through this text the author creates a character that we may see into in order to reveal the one tracked mind. Pride is the ultimate goal for Aylmer; he intends to make a prize of his wife by trying to make her extraordinary person and alleviating any blemishes. His wife Georgiana is the innocent victim in the story because she must follow her husbands wishes. Hawthorne once again writing in his time period made traditional characters of society and these people were in an average class; henceforth keeping traditional good and evil characters as in many fiction stories.
Hawthorne has created a couple who are the examples of good and evil; Georgiana has the mark of innocence upon her and Aylmer carries delusions of grandeur. Georgiana is admired for her beauty by the publics eye and Aylmer is envied by the same. Hawthorne tells us outright that the two are not happy but what must be understood is that because Aylmer is unhappy with her birthmark, ” My peerless bride, it is successful! You are perfect! , … dearest Aylmer, I am dying.” , pays the ultimate price for perfection..