Short literary Analysis of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” (Essay Sample)

Short literary Analysis of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark”
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” revealed how people’s moral weakness and obsession contribute towards one’s enquiring of their self-image and drives the quest of perfection in the current society. Aylmer, the main character, is the victim of such obsession since he was exhibited as a person who became a world renowned alchemist, yet his faults were uncovered when he set his objectives and failed to achieve them. In this regard, the unrealistic goals that this character made exemplified his nature. He frequently struggled for perfection but often fell short of attainment in his search for perfection. In the end, Aylmer's pursuit to remove his wife’s birthmark brings destruction. Generally, although Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” did not use the protagonist to develop the point of view, the conflict of the story was revealed.
First, the setting of Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” is not unique compared to a café in Paris. It revolves around a house and partly in a small alcove and a laboratory. Specifically, the laboratory is explained as a having a threshold, furnace, and an inner room where Aminadab, Aylmer’s underworker, lived. Importantly, Georgiana, Aylmer's wife, found herself in the alcove when she woke from her faint. This claim is evidenced by the statement, “The walls were hung with gorgeous curtains” that Georgiana felt resembled “a pavilion among the clouds” (Hawthorne 125). Therefore, the setting assisted with the mood of the story and enabled the audience to have an effective emotional connection with it.