Obsession of Perfection Essay

The relentless pursuit of human perfection has always been an intrinsic trait of human record and science has been a mean to achieve it. This statement brings us to the main idea of Hawthornes short fabrication The Birth-mark. It shows the story of a scientist who is obsessed with the remotion of his wifes birthmark, considering it a emblem of her human imperfection. The Birth-mark is possibly influenced by Hawthornes times where science began to gain knowledge closely our world and was intimately glorified, through scientific experiment, humankind can discover, know, and do proficient to the highest degree anything. As the narrator explains, In those days when the comparatively recent discovery of electrical energy and other kindred mysteries of Nature seemed to open paths into the region of miracle, in its depth and absorbing energy (Hawthorne 209). The authors story presents some critical issues about what it signifies to be human, how much science can tell us about the wo rld, what happens when human beings attempt to subvert nature through science, and possibly more significantly, should we approximate to play God in this manner.The Birth-mark like other stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne provides us with moral allegories and much of the meaning is through Hawthornes use of symbolism that addresses the themes such(prenominal) as manipulation of science, humanitys flaws, and obsession with perfection. Hawthorne uses an intriguing plot and unique characterization in order to teach lessons about the imperfectability of humans by examining at the misuse of science. Since Hawthorne is involved in the telling of a moral tale, it is appropriate 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 nature of humankind, the limita tions that science has, and the gaiety that humans should have on what they already possess.The main character Aylmer, a man of science an eminent proficient in every branch of inbred philosophy (Hawthorne 209), suffers from a blind obsession about a tiny red birthmark resembling the shape of a hand that his gorgeous wife Georgiana has on her cheek. As Aylmer declares Ah, upon another reckon perhaps it might, replied her husband scarcely never on yours. No, dearest Georgiana, you came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature, that this slightest possible brand which we hesitate whether to term a defect or a beauty shocks me, as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection (Hawthorne 209). He seeks to clear up his wifes birthmark, the symbol of necessarily flawed humanity, and make her perfect.Georgianas birthmark represents mans imperfections, the very imperfections that make her human. The birthmark is deeply essential in her face. It was the fatal flaw of humanity whi ch 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 pain (Hawthorne 211). We can assume that, symbolically, this passage implies that mans imperfections are deeply implant in his nature. The Birthmark illustrates the flaws of mankind, but its most significant declaration is that to be human is inevitably to be flawed. To struggle for perfection is to deny 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 death The fatal hand had grappled with the mystery of life, and was the bond by which an angelic spirit kept itself in union with a mortal frame.As the last crimson tint of the birthmarkthat touch on token of human imperfectionfaded from her cheek, the parting breath of the now perfect woman passed into the atmosphere, and her soul, lingering a moment near her husband, took its heavenward passage (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 then that the central lesson and underlying moral message behind this passage is that nerve-racking to put a small mistake way up out of proportion, in attempt to create something perfect, only destroys a penny-pinching thing and cater uswith the fatal consequences that come with senseless obsession of pursuing perfection.Another example of a moral lesson that Hawthornes short story The Birth-mark suggests is that science unfeignedly does have its limitations. There are certain things that humans are not privileged to know or capable of doing. It is not only arrogant, the story seems to implies, but ab solutely dangerous to try to play God. Much as he had accomplished, she could not but observe that his most spl abolishid successes were almost invariably failures His brightest diamonds were the merest pebbles, and matte up to be so by himself, in comparison with the inestimable gems which lay hidden beyond his reach (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 fifty-fifty 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 first to think science really could take us anywhere we wanted to go. The Birthmark is presenting Nature as the personified creator of all things, as a deity. There are implications in the story about moral ethical issues as science tests new dr ugs in human beings for instance, or scientists playing 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 hr 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, demur 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 recognized 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, and death (Hawthorne 211). T he obsession with perfection blinds Aylmer to the true beauty and humanity of his wife, showing the struggle between accepting her true earthy beauty and mans inability to perceive it and appreciate what nature has bestowed upon him.As the story revels through this important quote Do not atone you have rejected the best the earth could offer (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 inner and outer beauty he could not see and his discontentment snatch 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 affluent to just finish 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 observes 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 commit 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 indeed 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 Introduction to Literature. Eds. Cain, Kathleen Shine, Kathleen Fitzpatrick, JN, et. al. Boston Pearson Learning Solution, 2013. 209-222. Print.