The Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne (Review)

The desire for perfectionism an alchemist scientist named Aylmer to look for something unattainable such as perfection, overcoming everything and everyone and driving him crazy. This search for perfectionism led Aylmer to see his marriage to Georgiana, get affected by his gradual obsession with her birthmark until the moment they were living in an eternal storm. As time went on, that "imperfection" became all he could see, prompting him to try to remove it at all costs. Various themes are explored, such as: science versus nature: Science progressed in such a way it somehow practically "erased" the role that God previously had, since science now has the capacity to clone people and define of the sex of the baby; the wedding; an unremitting search for perfection and its impossibility; morality; sin; manipulation; obsession; mortality; sacrifice; greed; selfishness; objectification of women, etc. Throughout the short story we can reflect on innumerable questions from philosophical to psychological order. I will share below, some of my reflections and thoughts during this review.

Many questions came up in my head while I was reading this short story but one of the main that arose was: why do not we see our imperfections as easily as we see those of others? Considering the time when it was written, this short story is connected and exemplifies modern times in certain aspects, such as the concept of beauty and perfection: this story is a moral for us to reflect on what matters, which is appreciation of the person for what he is, as a whole. It got me thinking that, we can try to search for perfection all life that it will end up tripping us. Our identity as a person is linked to our being and if it is manipulated it is no longer us. Imperfections, in some way, also remind us that we are mortal. We must accept and embrace life with its imperfections because to reach perfection we would have to die or transcend and if we have no imperfections we are no longer human, that is to say, perfection does not exist. Accepting others and ourselves as we are, being crucial to "avoid" the death of being, although this, will in time happen to each of us. Acceptance is the greatest beauty we can possess.

This story became captivating at first reading since the arguments are exposed in a moralistic and subjective way, offering countless reflections, thoughts, interpretations and functioning as a kind of allegory once it transmits one or more senses beyond the literal. This reading also became interesting due to the way the story unfolds or unravels, with a good guiding thread, using the presaging technique to reveal the topics of the story. An excellent one, written in a different but accessible way, with a quick and enjoyable short story with a vision of life and a tragic ending. Although short, it is very thought provoking, presenting us with a well-used and placed language and a great and powerful life lesson, in a history full of detailed symbolisms and contrasts. The narrator is omniscient, being the one who tells the story, but seeming to be of a particular nature, especially in regard to clarity and conciseness. Perhaps the story is a little dark in a way, it ends up being able to touch and shock us more easily, as to what we are willing to do for perfection. This story connects with and reminded me of Mary Shelley's gothic horror novel, Frankenstein, in a way.

I strongly recommend and advise this reading. Great for reflecting on what really matters and is worth in life, that we must think before acting, we should not let others change us or determine who we are or what we are worth. Let us set aside the superficial and celebrate true values! The search for perfection can destroy the happiness of now and of the future. Love is blind, being it pure and genuine, but what Aylmer felt was anything but love, since when we love we can see everything but his Georgiana's defect, this is, we must think that imperfections being what makes us perfect (metaphorically and symbolically speaking). Aylmer was a selfish person, putting his wishes above all else, not thinking about the consequences and Georgiana's well-being.