Taking this further, Hawthorne uses Aylmer to make a statement on the current scientific movement in society, "He had devoted himself, however, too unreservedly to scientific studies ever to be weaned from them by any second passion." This characterization of Aylmer at the very beginning of the story lays the foundation by establishing the parallel between him and a number of possible ideas, i.e. science, intellect, and ambition. .

             In the same manner that Aylmer represents the pursuit of knowledge through science, Georgiana's characterization alludes to the natural order of life, and the spirituality of nature. It should be though of as no small coincidence that nature is often considered feminine, such as "Mother Nature", so this reinforces the parallel between her description and its similarity to the general qualities of natural beauty and spirituality. Her innocence and beauty are symbolic of nature, even to the extent that her feature understood the least can despised the most by people who are not ready to observe natural beauty. Whereas Georgiana's lovers admired the mark, imagining it as a blessing from a fairy at birth, the women thought of it negatively in a fog of jealousy. "[women] affirmed that the bloody hand, as they chose to call it, quite destroyed the effect of Georgiana's beauty, and rendered her countenance even hideous." It is interesting to examine how the influence of Aylmer hastens .

             The third and most intriguing characterization is that of Aminadab, the brute lab assistant of Aylmer. "the indescribable earthiness that incrusted him, he seemed to represent man's physical nature;" This is the most descriptive account of a character's symbolism, and except for the fact that he doesn't speak much, is the most basic element of the theme. The relationship between Aylmer and Aminadab could be taken to represent the constant devotion of man's physical nature to his intellectual ambition.