In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s
The Birthmark, the main character has
an obsession for science. It’s that obsession the obsession that leads him to
indirectly kill his wife. He thought his wife as perfect, except for the
birthmark that she had on her cheek. While others admired it, Aylmer sought a
remedy to fix it. “"Georgiana," said he,
"has it never occurred to you that the mark upon your cheek might be
removed?"” That was his tragic sin. His obsession became so great
that he poured all his time into finding a cure. Georgiana, through the love she had for
Aylmer in addition the intense admiration she had for his work, lead her to be
equally obsessed with the removal of the mark, so much so that she would do
whatever it took, no matter the risks, so it could be removed. “"Danger? There is but one danger--that this horrible
stigma shall be left upon my cheek!" cried Georgiana.” The
obsession killed Georgiana, making her the victim of Aylmer’s Unpardonable Sin.
Aylmer also is destroyed by his sin. He gave up science for her wife, and then
in his return to science he killed his wife. Now at the end, his only option would
be to return to science.
In Roger Malvin’s Burial, the sin Reuben
Bourne commits is not keeping his vow to return to bury his father-like friend.
Roger didn’t ask to be buried, “wherefore should I
not rest beneath the open sky, covered only by the oak leaves when the autumn
winds shall strew them?” he said. Reuben insisted though. Making a vow, that as
soon as he returns home and is well enough, he will return to bury Roger. He
never does. Breaking his vow, was his unpardonable sin. His family seems to be the
victims of his sin. First of all he becomes a failure, which may be attributed
to a curse but never outright says so. The main evil of the story is when he
shoots his son dead on Roger’s grave; placing his son, and his now grieving wife,
as the victims of his sin. Reuben, the perpetrator, experiences the same pain as his wife.
The final story
I’ll discuss is The Minister’s Black Veil.
This one was a bit tougher than the last two to find exactly who has committed the
unpardonable sin. The whole town seems to think it’s the Mr. Hooper because of his
veil, but the Mr. Hooper sees a veil on the world. It seems like Mr. Hooper is
in the wrong here. The veil has caused only trouble for the community, who
would be the victim. He is a public figure, and the veil makes his presence a dreary
one. Also, it isolates him from society. At the end of the story the young
minister says to him, "with what horrible
crime upon your soul are you now passing to the judgment?" He presented
his own justification for the veil on his death bed, one that could flip the
story. Placing him as the victim and the towns people the perpetrators, but it’s all based on interpretation.
In "The Minister's Black Veil," the Unpardonable Sin is never truly revealed in the story. My interpretation of the story revolves around this unknown sin. Hooper clearly wears his black veil as a sort of stigma for the sins he has committed. For me, the black veil serves as a parallel to other stories written by Hawthorne. My immediate comparison came from this week's reading, "The Birthmark." However, Hawthorne's use of the black veil greatly parallels the scarlet letter worn by Hester Prynne in "The Scarlet Letter." In "The Minister's Black Veil," there is no scarlet "A." The symbol of the black veil is left open to interpretation, but it obviously can be deduced that the veil does indeed represent sin. Using his allegorical habit, Hawthorne’s Father Hooper serves as a symbol of the natural depravity of man. Though Father Hooper is a great figure in the community, he, himself, has his flaws and afflictions that burden him and his ministry everyday. Hooper sees the world (his community) as inherently evil; that is the Puritan teaching. As a minister, he is to serve as an example to his congregation and ultimately wears the veil to represent the hidden sins we all commit and the guilt that comes with those sins. In turn, the community becomes uncomfortable and reflective of their own sins, like we see with Hester Prynne, the Puritan community, and the symbolism in “The Scarlet Letter.” Mr. Hooper is in the wrong, but everyone else is in the wrong as well. Mr. Hooper serves as both the victim and the perpetrator in this story. He is a sinner, and the acknowledgement of his sins obviously affects the entire community. In this sense, the community members are all victims. However, they are also all perpetrators because they sin as well—and they hide it from the world. They hide it from everyone, but Father Hooper. The weight of the sinful world therefore falls on his shoulders, and no one goes unaffected by this fact. This story serves as a message to the Puritans and somewhat of a paradox. Though the Puritan community is naturally depraved and possesses an inherently sinful nature, their sins are not necessarily revealed to the world. However, when the time of judgment comes, all will be revealed. Therefore, the Puritans know they will sin, but Hawthorne wants people to understand that all sins, no matter how big or small, they will not go unnoticed or unpunished.
ReplyDeleteRegarding “The Birthmark,” I am in agreement with your well phrased comments. Georgiana’s obsession with removal of the birthmark is all the more remarkable when you consider that she
ReplyDeletehad reviewed Alymer’s journal that documented his experimental failures and commented that “It was the sad confession and continual exemplification of the shortcomings of the composite man…”
Alymer was obsessed not only with removal of the birthmark (he believed perfection was possible), but with his scientific investigation of a cure. It was this irrationality that, when divorced from his love for his wife, led to the unpardonable sin.
An interesting aspect of The Minister’s Black Veil is the clear implication that Rev. Hooper in fact did make a connection with his congregation, in spite of and maybe because of the black veil. If it were Hooper’s intention to make his congregation aware that hidden secrets and sins are kept in the hearts of us all, then his success can be judged by his own isolation. Hawthorne is assessing both the impact of the veil on the congregation and its impact on Rev. Hooper.
Among other things, Roger Malvin’s Burial is a study in human fraility, self-inflicted injury, and guilt, all of which are exposed as resulting from a fear of humiliation and lack of rationality. Bourne’s fears and guilt ultimately denied him the very thing he wanted most, the brotherhood of his community and the love of his wife, which, in his mind, were based on a lie.
Hi Michael, My name is Denise and I chose your blog to comment on. I enjoyed reading your blog, and generally agree with most of your observations. However, in your blog you say that “The obsession killed Georgiana…” I not clear if you are referring to Georgiana’s obsession or Aylmer’s. If you feel Georgiana had an obsession, it was instilled in her by Aylmer, Hawthorne tells us that with passages such as the following, “Aylmer strips Georgiana of her defenses and her last remaining bit of humanity with simple glances and subtle actions, “Aylmer opened his eyes upon his wife's face and recognized the symbol of imperfection; and when they sat together at the evening hearth his eyes wandered stealthily to her cheek…Georgiana soon learned to shudder at his gaze. It needed but a glance with the peculiar expression that his face often wore to change the roses of her cheek into a deathlike paleness…” Georgiana was indeed beautiful but also of weak will and easily influenced by the presumed superior intelligence of Aylmer. I feel she was more coerced by him, although it appears that she was somewhat of a willing participant.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore Hawthorne led us to believe Georgiana was under the influence of some form of narcotic when she consents to take the potion. I quote, “These questions had such a particular drift that Georgiana began to conjecture that she was already subjected to certain physical influences, either breathed in with the fragrant air or taken with her food. She fancied likewise, but it might be altogether fancy, that there was a stirring up of her system--a strange, indefinite sensation creeping through her veins, and tingling, half painfully, half pleasurably, at her heart.”
Before the above passage, Aylmer tells Georgiana that he has created the elixir of life and that the removal of the birthmark would be relatively simple. “He more than intimated that it was at his option to concoct a liquid that should prolong life for years, perhaps interminably; but that it would produce a discord in Nature which all the world, and chiefly the quaffer of the immortal nostrum, would find cause to curse.”
“Aylmer, are you in earnest?’ asked Georgiana, looking at him with amazement and fear.” “It is terrible to possess such power, or even to dream of possessing it.”
“Oh, do not tremble, my love,’ said her husband. ‘I would not wrong either you or myself by working such inharmonious effects upon our lives; but I would have you consider how trifling, in comparison, is the skill requisite to remove this little hand.’ At the mention of the birthmark, Georgiana, as usual, shrank as if a red hot iron had touched her cheek.”
Hawthorne devotes much energy in telling us of Aylmer’s self-absorbing egotism, plus Aylmer himself, was also fully aware of the dangers involved before he administered the potion to Georgiana and I feel part of his interest in removing the birthmark was twofold, one Georgiana would then be “perfect” and two he would be lauded in the scientific community. I’m also not completely sure that Aylmer was that shaken by Georgiana’s death; she was probably little more than a laboratory experiment in his eyes; if he had the undying love he professed to have for Georgiana, he would have viewed the birthmark as past suitors had and that was as an enhancement to her beauty. I feel Aylmer became bored with Georgiana and longed for the excitement his experiments brought to him. Georgiana was the victim of the “unpardonable sin,” the violation of the human heart and Aylmer just might have gotten away with murder.
As I said before Michael, I really enjoyed your reading blog and wish you continued success with your studies at Loyola.