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The Birthmark | Study Guide

Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Course Hero. "The Birthmark Study Guide." Course Hero. 2 Dec. 2016. Web. 24 Sep. 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Birthmark/>.

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Course Hero. "The Birthmark Study Guide." December 2, 2016. Accessed September 24, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Birthmark/.

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Course Hero, "The Birthmark Study Guide," December 2, 2016, accessed September 24, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Birthmark/.

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Check out this Infographic to learn more about Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark. Study visually with character maps, plot summaries, helpful context, and more.

the-birthmark-nathaniel-hawthorneSources: Biography.com, Critical Companion to Nathaniel Hawthorne: ALiterary Reference to His Life and Work by Sarah B. Wright, Encyclopaedia Britannica, National Park Service, Private Osborne by Frederick M. Osborne Copyright © 2016 Course Hero, Inc.The Birthmarkby the NumbersTime Aylmer kisses his wife’s hand-shaped birthmarkTimes Aylmer attempts to prove his scientific ability to his wife using a flowerStories in the collection Mosses from an Old Manse, including “The Birthmark”Year Hawthorne started renting Old Manse—a home owned by Ralph Waldo Emerson—where he wrote “The Birthmark”18421225Aylmer’s LabRepresents the toil, physicality, and risk of scientific discoverySymbolsGeorgianaemove it, remove it, whatever bethe cost, or we shall both go mad!BirthmarkSymbolizes mortality, imperfection, magic, and life Georgiana’s RoomsSuggest magic and miracles by their enchanting arrangementThe 19th century was a time of significant advances in scientific knowledge, and Hawthorne, like other romantic writers, was intrigued by the idea that science might be able to change the course of nature. In “The Birthmark,” Hawthorne probes and questions this notion.NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE1804–64Authorhttps://www.dropbox.com/sh/tfdc8jkz67c2jxd/AADBArTu-gE2kqUYJfWI90_ca?dl=0In the late 18th century Aylmer grows increasingly obsessed with his wife’s birthmark and his attempts to perfect her beauty by removing it. Aylmer’s passion for science and his belief that it can overcome human imperfections blind him to the foolishness of his quest to rid Georgiana’s cheek of the mark.The Markof MortalityTHEMESScienceHumans gain a sense of power over nature through studying it, but nature remains unfathomable. BeautyOpinions about what is beautiful vary from person to person, as shown in the differing views on Georgiana’s birthmark.MortalityDespite Aylmer’s hopes, immortality is not possible, even through science.Main CharactersAylmerMan of science seeking perfectionGeorgianaAylmer’s wife; a beauty whose birthmark is her only blemishAminadabAylmer’s disapproving yet capable assistantNathaniel Hawthorne1843EnglishShort Story AuthorYear PublishedOriginal LanguageThe BirthmarkHorror
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