Symbolism in The Birthmark
There have been many writers who have astonished the literary world with their configuration of short stories, but none of them have perfected the art as well as Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne wrote in a time period when Fredrick Douglas was paving the road to racial freedom, Ralph Waldo Emerson wanted to world to be seen through the transparent eyeball, and Henry David Thoreau was living the unfettered life. In comparison to the modern writings of his time, Hawthorne's style was viewed as outdated; nonetheless, Hawthorne addressed modern issues in the symbols and themes of his stories. Through the use of symbols and themes, the short story, "The Birthmark", is the best example of Hawthorne representing modern issues. Through his use of symbolism, Hawthorne addresses the issue of the fatal flaw of humanity that nature imposes upon everyone. He addresses the issue of man manipulating nature through the theme of the story. While some might have viewed Hawthorne's writing style as outdated, he focused on issues that are modern and contemporary to his time. The modern issue of man's ability to manipulate nature, and the results of that manipulation, is seen in a scientist's obsession with pe
The style of Hawthorne's writing has been deemed as outdated by some literary critics, but if they would look deeper they would find a mind filled with contemporary thoughts. These thoughts are most significantly conveyed in his short story, "The Birthmark". Through the use of symbols, Hawthorne addresses the issues of man's fatal flaw from the hands nature, while he uses the theme of his story to make aware that nature cannot be manipulated. Unlike Thoreau, Hawthorne wanted people to realize that nature is not perfect and should not be used as a channel for spirituality. What they could agree on that nature should not be manipulated and controlled. Aylmer finds the cure for his wife's one flaw and administers the potion to her. The administering of this potion provides the power and ability to control and change nature.
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Approximate Word count = 1058
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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