Sin and Community in Hawthorne's Stories: Part 3

The Birthmark

The scientist Alymer in Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” attempts to sanctify his wife of her impurities through scientific procedures. While this endeavor of human science aims at attaining perfection during the present life, it ultimately comes at the cost of earthly life. In Alymer’s attempt to rid Georgiana’s face of a hideous birthmark, he ends up ultimately killing her. Georgiana’s blemish is so intrinsically tied to who she is as a physical human being that it cannot die unless she dies with it. Using the intellect to harness nature, humans can strive for their own sanctification, but ultimately they are too tied to their imperfections to live without them. As Alymer and Georgiana exemplify, man’s hatred of sin can lead him to destroy his companions by seeking to perfect them according to his own means. By taking the task of sanctification into his own hands, Alymer kills his wife.