June 22, The Birthmark

• Hawthorne's short story exhibits both internal and external conflict. Focusing on the conflict Man vs. Nature, expand on Aylmer’s quest to rid Georgiana of her imperfection. What are your feelings on man tampering with Mother Nature? His quest was presented as a loftiness of spirit, when in fact it was an expression of self rejection. Man has no choice but to contend with nature for his own survival, but not for vanity's sake.
• In the text Georgiana becomes exceedingly more and more tortured by her birthmark: "Danger? There is but one danger—that this horrible stigma shall be left upon my cheek!” cried Georgiana. ‘Remove it, remove it, whatever the cost, or we shall both go mad” (657). What first appeared a “charm” in her eyes has become a curse. Explain Georgiana’s conflict, and why you think her attitude has changed from the beginning of the story. It is conflict within herself. her identity is tied up in how she's viewd by her husband rather than how she feels on her own.
• In the opening paragraph Hawthorne describes the character of Aylmer as “a man of science.” Reread this paragraph and explain how Aylmer’s unrivaled passion for science sets the tone for the story (think in terms of Aylmer’s internal conflict with his science vs. his wife). it showed that his compulsion towards science whould overshadow or overpower his love for his wife if he could not find the perfect integral balance between the two. It foreshadowed the conflict to come.
• Georgiana’s birthmark seems to have a metaphorical function. What do you see as the significance of the “crimson hand”? blood, life, the hand of nature, of God
• Aminadab is a name that represents an early figure in the Book of Genesis. Why do you think Hawthorne gave this character this name? How is Aminadab portrayed in the story? Why do you think he laughs at the end? He represnets the earthbound human, more connected with nature and the natural, worldy human fate. He laughed at the end, because in a way nature, what he represented had won. it could not be conquered.
• Some scholars have found a connection between Aylmer’s character, and Mary Shelley’s character of Victor in Frankenstein. If you are familiar with Shelley’s novel, what similarities, if any, do you notice? man's compulsion with overcoming nature, and the moral questions brought on by his attempt.
  
• The characters of Aylmer and Georgiana are not very complex, despite Hawthorne’s drawn out descriptions of them. Do you think Hawthorne meant to use them as vehicles to communicate his message? What do you think his message was and how can this be applied to the contemporary world we live in? I tihnk he only needed to use certain aspecs of their personality to convey the message. He had the moral stance that to tamper with nature is wrong, and he didn't need to bring in too many complexities of charachter to show that.
• Do a close reading of the first two paragraphs on page 651: “The mind is in a sad state..”
  Thinking back on what happened to Georgiana at the end of the story, do you find any irony in the removal of her birthmark? If so, what type of irony and why? Situational irony. We don't expect that her birthmark is what allowed her her earthly life.
• Within the story are many indicative signs. Are there any clues or hints throughout the story that allow you to foreshadow the ending? If so, what are they? She kept talking about dying.