The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne - Book Report/Review Example

The BirthMark and the Feminist Theory Nathaniel Hawthornes story "The Birth Mark" revolves around a scientist who is obsessed with the powers of nature. The story starts with the marriage of the scientist named Aylmer to a gorgeous woman named Georgiana. However later on Aylmer realizes that his wife has a mark on her cheeks that is going to haunt them for all their lives. It is here that Aylmer decides that he will conduct a miraculous removal of the mark so that they can lead their lives happily. At first, Georgiana is a bit reluctant about the idea of undergoing a surgery but she later on agrees to whatever her husband asks for. The story has a deep meaning towards it and is related to the aspects of feminism through different ways. The parallel world that is created by the author is a way through which he can guide the audience towards the suppression that women were facing in the early 18th century. This essay would further revolve around the concepts of feminism and how it links to the story written by Hawthorne. The story revolves around Georgiana and her submission to his husband who is obsessed with the removal of the birth mark that she possesses. The submission of Georgiana to her husbands will can be repeatedly seen in the story which clearly shows that she was not working as per her will but was rather acting in concordance with the norms of the society in those days. Cruea in her article states that "Real Womanhood regarded the position of an educated spinster, able to support herself, as more desirable than that of an unhappy or abused wife. A womans primary interest was in securing a "bearable future," as opposed to bliss" (Cruea 193). This talks about the stage that woman went through which was known as the Real Womanhood. In this stage woman were made to study but that is only to get married to a suitable person so that they could have a bearable future. In other words woman were supposed to oblige to their husbands and do as they were told so. This phase of feminism can be applied to the story as Georgiana gave in to everything that her husband put forward. It can be seen that her husband was of a composite status and the author has used the word "persuasion" for Aylmer when he convinced Georgiana to marry. This clearly shows that Georgiana was someone who had completed her education and was a suitable option to marry. Georgiana, on the other hand was serving her domestic responsibilities and fulfilling the primary concern of the stage known as Real Womanhood. She was trying to satisfy her husband in every possible way that she could. She eventually gives up her life for the happiness of her husband who tries to remove the mark that she has. In one portion it can also be said that Georgiana may belong to another stage of feminism known as True Womanhood. Cruea in her article puts it in the following words "Due to her emotional and physical frailty, a True Woman needed to be protected by a male family member" (Cruea 189). In other words it is quite probable that Georgiana was a victim of fate and she had not studied enough to find a husband who would match her needs as in the stage of Real Womanhood. The story has objectified woman as they have been used in the past in this real world. It can be seen that Georgiana does not show a will and rather acts on the robotic authority of her husband. In the olden days, women were taught to marry someone who could keep them happy by becoming a source of income for them, thus making them dependent creatures. This story shows that Georgiana is dependent on Aylmer to the extent that she would just do anything to prove that she is a wife with a pure nature. In the previous times it was seen that woman were not considered to have feelings that would matter for a husband and similar was the case that happened in this story. Aylmer is not interested in the inner soul of Georgiana but is rather obsessed by the beauty she possesses. He desperately wants to remove the scar from her face so that she can be flawless. This can be proved by a scene in the story where Georgiana merely tells her husband that she can risk her life for getting the scar removed if her husband wants it to be that way. In response to this, Aylmer hurriedly replies "I am convinced of the perfect practicability of its removal." (Hawthorne). This sentence shows that Aylmer does not care about the health of his wife but rather cares about the outer beauty that she possesses. Similarly Fetterly beautifully incorporates the theory of feminism into the story by stating "Hawthorne dramatizes the fact that womans identity is a product of mens responses to her"(Fetterley 32). She is highlighting the details of the story in which the birthmark is given the significance by the scientist himself without realizing the real worth of Georgiana. She further states that this birthmark is only a sign of disgust for her husband because he wants to see it that way, but in other cases this birthmark can be considered beautiful. Georgiana is seen to be deeply hurt or ashamed by the scar that she has and it is only due to the fact that she has been surrounded by people like Aylmer who have never realized the real worth of the soul. In other words Georgiana is a creation of the author to show the wrongdoings that have been done against woman in the 18th century. Georgiana portrays the character of an object which is controlled by the man around him. She is able to generate self hatred to such an extent that she herself comes to believe that the removal of the scar can make her life peaceful (Fetterley 31-32). A control by the men has always stood out as a factor against feminists as men have always tried to rule women by conscious or unconscious desires. In this story, it can be seen that Aylmer is trying to rule over Georgiana by unconscious desires. He is repeatedly asking her about the scar that she has so that she can know that this scar bothers him in some way or the other. It is here that Georgiana does not realize the real intentions of her husband and gives in to the demands laid down by him. It can be compared to the situations that arose in the stages of True Womanhood where women, were merely used as objects of social wealth. It was in these times that woman were used by men to show off the wealth that they possessed along with the stature of the family (Staton 260-261). The Birthmark is a complete reflection of the wrongs that were done against women in the early 18th century. It reflects the helplessness of women and how they were controlled by men during the period of True Womanhood. The wrongdoings of men and the justification given by them can be seen in the character of Aylmer and the reflection of Aylmers control can be seen in the character of Georgiana herself. It can be concluded that this story is a reflection of the problems that made women rise against the tyranny of the society. References Top of Form Top of Form Top of Form "The Birthmark." By Nathaniel Hawthorne. Web. 30 Apr. 2015. Cruea, S M. "Changing Ideals of Womanhood During the Nineteenth-Century Woman Movement." Atq. 19.3 (2005): 187-204. Print. Fetterley, Judith. The Resisting Reader: A Feminist Approach to American Fiction. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1978. Print. Staton, Shirley F. Literary Theories in Praxis. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1987. Internet resource. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Read More