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Learn about the themes, characters, and plot of Hawthorne's short story "The Birthmark", published in 1843. Find the full text, summary, and analysis of the story and its symbolism.
- Character List
Aylmer’s wife. A beautiful, intelligent, and caring woman,...
- Full Plot Summary
Aminadab laughs. Georgiana wakes, sees herself in the...
- Aylmer
Aylmer is a character, of course, but he also functions as a...
- Character List
The Birth-Mark. "The Birth-Mark", The Pioneer, March 1843. " The Birth-Mark " is a short story by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. The tale examines obsession with human perfection. It was first published in the March 1843 edition of The Pioneer and later appeared in Mosses from an Old Manse, a collection of Hawthorne's short stories ...
A scientist tries to remove his wife’s birthmark, a symbol of her humanity and beauty, and kills her in the process. Read a plot summary and interpretation of this allegorical story about the dangers of seeking perfection.
by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Birthmark (1843) is about a scientist, Aylmer, who is obsessed with removing a blemish from his wife's cheek. A fine example of Hawthorne's contribution to the genre of Dark Romanticism. It was published in 1843, seven years before The Scarlet Letter. John Collier, The Laboratory, 1895.
Read the classic short story of a scientist who tries to remove his wife's birthmark with disastrous consequences. The PDF file contains the full text of the story, first published in 1846, and some background information.
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A scientist marries a woman with a birthmark on her cheek and becomes obsessed with removing it. The story explores themes of perfection, nature, and human nature through the characters' actions and dialogue.
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Aminadab laughs. Georgiana wakes, sees herself in the mirror, and tells Aylmer not to feel bad about rejecting “the best the earth could offer.”. Then she dies. A short summary of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Birthmark. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of The Birthmark.
