2-The-Birthmark

“TheBirthmark”●Acautionarytaleofscientificresponsibility●anastuteexaminationofhumanpsychology●anexplorationofhumankind'sstruggletocopewithmortalityandambiguityAnalyzingPlot●Expositionparagraphs1and2.Inthosefewlines,readerslearnaboutthesettingandthemaincharacter’sbackground.●OpeningIncident●RisingAction●ClimaxTheclimaxoccurs,ofcourse,whenGeorgianaactuallydrinkstheliquid.Atthepoint,nothingcanreversethestory’soutcome.Remember,itistheclimaxwhichdeterminesthefinaloutcome.●Fallingaction●ResolutionGeorgiana’sdeath.Thereisnoanger,noregret---onlyperfectionreadytorisetothecelestialworld.Foreshadowing1.ThefirstparagraphsuggestsAylmer’sbasicphilosophymaybehisdownfall.2.Theuseoftheword“Fatal”foreshadowstheinevitableresolution.(para8,81&89)3.Thedreamdiscussion.(para11-15)4.Thefailedexperimentsandthefoliorecordsalsoserveasforeshadowing.5.Georgiana’sprayer“forasinglemoment”(para70)6.Death-likefaintAnalyzingcharacterizationAylmer---WhatHeDoesHawthornecharacterizesAylmerbyhispassionforscience.Everythinghedoesistheresultofthatobsession;hebecomes,infact,theclassic“mad”scientist.Aylmer---WhatHeSaysHawthorne’sdialogueletsushearAylmer’swordsupportingtheactionsofamadscientist.VirtuallyallofAylmer’sdialoguefollowsasimilarvein.Theyarethewordsofamanobsessed.“…doubtnotmypower.Ihavealreadygiventhismatterthedeepest…Ifeelmyselffullycompetenttorenderthisdearcheekasfaultlessasitsfellow;andthen,mostbeloved,whatwillbemytriumphwhenIshallhavecorrectedwhatNatureleftimperfectinherfairestwork!“(Para.19)Aylmer---WhatOthersSayaboutHim“HehadmadediscoveriesintheelementalpowersofNaturethathadrousedtheadmirationofallthelearnedsocietiesinEurope.”(para.22)Herheartexulted,whileittrembled,athishonorablelove--sopureandloftythatitwouldacceptnothinglessthanperfectionnormiserablymakeitselfcontentedwithanearthliernaturethanhehaddreamedof.Shefelthowmuchmorepreciouswassuchasentimentthanthatmeanerkindwhichwouldhavebornewiththeimperfectionforhersake...(para.70)Aylmer---ComparisoncharacterizationTheauthorcomparesAylmer’sreactionstothoseofothermen:“Manyadesperateswainwouldhaveriskedlifefortheprivilegeofpressinghislipstothemysterioushand.”(para.7)Aylmer,thescientistinTheBirthmark,isverymuchaproductoftheageofinvention(1849-1920).Hefeelsthatnothingistoocomplicated,tooprofound,toodeepforhimtounderstand.Ascientistwiththiskindofmindsetlooksatnatureandseesnotbeautyorsymmetry,butimperfections.AylmerdoesnotwanttoseeGeorgiana’shumanity;humanityisinherentlyflawed,andhewantsperfection.Aylmerisusedtoseeingtheworld,notasamiracleorwonder,butasacodewaitingtobecrackedGeorgiana1.BlindlydevotedtoherhusbandAfrustratinglyobedient,patient,andmeekwoman.Thesymbolorarchetypeforfeminineperfection2.Notsimplythefamiliarandstereotypicaldowntroddenwife.1)SherefusestoapologizeforenteringAylmer’slaboratory,forexample,andchideshimforkeepingherinthedarkaboutthedangeroftheexperiment.2)Shedoesnotdieasilentmartyr’sdeath.Beforepassingaway,shedemonstratesafinalburstofself-confidencebyurgingAylmernottofeelbadaboutrejecting“thebesttheearthcouldoffer.”AminadabIntheBookofGenesisintheBible,Aminadabisahighpriest.Anarchetypeofthe“natural”man“Withhisvaststrength,hisshaggyhair,hissmokyaspect,andtheindescribableearthinessthatincrustedhim,heseemedtorepresentman'sphysicalnature...”(para.25)“Ifsheweremywife,I'dneverpartwiththatbirthmark.”(para.27)AnalyzingSettingThestorytakesplacein“thelatterpartofthelastcentury”,i.e.,the1700s.AresponsetoNewtonianRevolutioninwhichGodwasoutandsciencewasin.Theboudoir(para.29)Vs.thelab(para.57)Therealmofthespiritual–freedfromtheearthandfromallhumanlyimperfections.Thelabstinksofhisfailures,oftheremindersthatheismortalandcannotcompetewithNatureonascientificscale.AnalyzingPointofViewHawthorneusestheomniscientthird-personpointofview,thenarratorwhoknowsallandseesall.ItisthepointofviewmostsuitabletoHawthorne’spurpose.Ifwedidnotknoweachcharacter’sthought,wecouldmisinterpretHawthorne’stheme.Exceptions:WeknownotwhetherAylmerpossessedthisdegreeoffaithinman'sultimatecontroloverNature.(1)It'spossiblethatHawthorneismakingapointaboutthelimitationsofhumanknowledge.Symbolism●ThebirthmarkColor,shape,(para.8,para.7,para.9)Aylmerfunctionsasasymbolofintellectandscience.●characterofAminadab.ThisisanamestraightfromGenesisintheBibleandthischaracterisa“brute”butnonethelessismoreofamanbecauseheisintouchwithhistruenatureandcommentsthathewouldnotremovethebirthmark,whereasan“unnatural”manofsciencewould.StyleDiction/WordchoiceSentencestructuretendstobelengthy,involvingmultipleindependentclauseswithmultiplemodifyingclausesandphrases.(para91)TheThemesof“TheBirthmark”＊Sciencereallydoeshaveitslimitations.＊Tobehumanisnecessarilytobeflawed.＊Nature,likeajealouspatentee,carefullyguardshersecretsandcan'tbebeatenorevenmatchedbyman.＊Howitcanbefataltoletothersdoyourthinkingforyou＊Whatitmeanstolove,totrust,andtocommittoanotherperson＊Lossofindividualitykillsthesoul.Lesson1:Manisinherentlyandnecessarilyflawed.Lesson2:Scienceisn'tthebe-allandend-all.Naturecreates;mancanonlydeformoroccasionally,ifhe'sverylucky,mend.Lesson3:Humansare