The Birthmark
...Derek Schroeder
Accelerated English 11
Miss Burns
May 3, 1999
A Story of Love and Science
Nathaniel Hawthorne is a nineteenth century American
Novelist whose works are deeply concerned with the ethical
problems of sin, punishment, and atonement (Adams 168). The New
England writer also handles the romantic theme very well and is a
master of historical fiction. Hawthorne was a descendant of one
of the judges at the Salem witch trials, and he set many of his
works in Puritan New England and during early crises in American
history (Encarta).
"The Birthmark," like many of Hawthorne's stories deals with
the relationship between men and women. It is a love story where
the quest for perfection leads to a tragic end. The protagonist,
a scientist named Aylmer, attempts to attain perfection for his
new wife Georgiana, by removing a birthmark resembling a small
hand from her left cheek. Written in 1843, it was Hawthorne's
first work of fiction right after he married his wife, Sophia
(Encarta). This adds depth to the story in a way that Hawthorne
can relate to it in a more direct manner. It was written during
the Old Manse period in Hawthorne's life (July 1842 to October
1845) when...
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