The Nature of this Allegory

            I would just like to point out that Hawthorne brilliantly plays with the elements of both the fictional and the allegorical of this story. Much like Aylmer’s world of science and the power of man overlaps with Georgiana’s world of nature and man’s mortality, so does the moral aspect with the narrative.

The main overlapping I’ll discuss can be found within the first two pages.

“He had devoted himself, however, too unreservedly to scientific studies ever to be weaned from them by any second position. His love for his young wife might prove the stronger of the two; but it could only be by way intertwining itself with his love of science, and uniting the strength of the latter to his own.” (Hawthorne 84)

The wording used is paralleled with the description of Georgiana’s birthmark on the following page: “To explain this conversation it must be mentioned that in the centre of Georgiana’s left cheek there was a singular mark, deeply interwoven, as it were, with the texture and substance of her face.” (85) The use of such vocabulary can’t be a coincidence.

Of course, this could be an interpretive problem, but I see the first quote as Hawthorne’s foreshadowing of Aylmer’s (potential) downfall. I say potential because it seems as though the narrator implies there is hope for Aylmer, that if he keeps his love for his wife strong enough it could counteract his passion for this pursuit in science. A questionable thing about this though, “His love for his young wife” is mentioned, which seems difficult to believe due to Aylmer’s acquiring of a wife. Why then would this be said, if not for the fact that he did actually love her and could have overcome his ambitious nature? As for the second quote, it seems to point all too clearly to the fact that the only way of being rid of the birthmark is to be rid of Georgiana as well. The birthmark is a part of this human creature, the woman he loves. However, similar to how Georgiana’s boudoir was joined with (and a type of disguise for) Aylmer’s lab, science proved to have a stronger hold over him. Control. Another parallel, like Aylmer’s control over his wife and later a projection of his feelings as his scientific world is invaded by the all too human Georgiana.

Speaking of control, when we first discussed Georgiana’s being controlled by Aylmer a poem by Marge Piercy came to mind “A Work of Artifice” : <http://www.poemhunter.com/best-poems/marge-piercy/a-work-of-artifice/>. I find it interesting that in both works the woman is synonymous to nature while the man is the destroyer of life (with the interpretive perspective of improving/perfecting nature). Unlike in the story though, the poem provides no indication that nature prevails.  

Since nature does prevail in The Birthmark I would argue that Nature is a willful force (as demonstrated through Aminadab, who is the personification or embodiment of earth), and perhaps Aylmer was destined to this fate. He may have loved her at first; he didn’t notice the birthmark until after they were married. But, it is left up to the reader to muse about these ideas thanks to Hawthorne’s writing.