Hawthorne's story The Birthmark

I. Hawthorne's allegory is open to many interpretations. But they must be consistent with all elements of the story.

II. The origin of Aylmer's and Georgiana's marriage is presented in terms that are unlike most courtships and marriages.

III. Aylmer is threatened by Georgiana's presence and fears the creation of a domestic sphere will obliterate his own work.

A. Aylmer's attack on Georgiana centers on the birthmark.

B. Aylmer feels the need to subordinate her world to his.

C. Aylmer wishes to make Georgiana's beauty, her perfection, the result of his science and thoroughly integrate her into his world.

IV. Georgiana must agree to becoming part of Aylmer's world.

A. Some critics believe she is merely a passive person.

B. Some critics believe she personifies self-sacrifice or is

devoted to romantic ideas of herself and her marriage.

C. Aylmer persuades Georgiana that she can have domesticity

only if she shares his view of her imperfection.

V. The time in the laboratory is a parody of traditional

romantic courtship and marriage details.

A. Georgiana is wooed and seduced by Aylmer's domestic

arrangements in the laboratory and by her first view of

B. Their union in the laboratory boudoir produces death

. . .
cooperate in her own obliteration. All the conventions of a love story are reversed. There is no pursuit or courtship. Aylmer wins the nearly perfect woman without any effort and they are suddenly shifted, past the most romantic phases of marriage, to their domestic arrangement as the two of them sit at home. In a romance this would be a time when they would learn about each other and share their thoughts. Instead, Aylmer launches his assault on Georgiana. Her initial reaction is to be hurt. But as Aylmer relentlessly pursues the subject "Georgiana soon learned to shudder at his gaze" (314). In order to achieve a semblance of the domestic space she needs to create, Georgiana is compelled to gradually accede to his view of her. Aylmer's supposed effort to hide his feelings gives Georgiana the false belief that she is making a rational decision based on what she has observed. Her observation of his nightmare when he unknowingly expressed his horror gives her this false sense of being scientific and rational. She has made part of the transition into his sphere and, therefore, Georgiana is ready to accede to any demands her husband may make regarding the birthmark. Scientifically and rationally she would have to grasp at
. . .

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Approximate Word count = 1979
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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