Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Aylmers Sin and Guilt Essay -- Character Analysis, Georginas Birthmar
The sin that Aylmer shows throughout the story is in relation to Georginaââ¬â¢s birthmark, which dramatically and suddenly grabs hold of his character. Aylmer becomes egotistic in the ways of his actions and thoughts, not considering that he himself has a problem but that his wifeââ¬â¢s imperfection is the problem. By Aylmerââ¬â¢s immoral and obsessive desire for perfection, he took Georginaââ¬â¢s liberty and self-confidence away, which reveales his sins. First, before the marriage, Aylmer had not been bothered by the birth-mark on Georgianaââ¬â¢s cheek. James Quinn and Ross Baldessarini note that ââ¬Å"[s]oon after marrying, however, Aylmer discovered that he can think of little else but the birth-mark,â⬠and that it disturbed him and took away from her true beauty. In relation, it is implied that this omission in Aylmer ââ¬Å"seems to suggest that insights into human behavior are likely to be subjective, imperfect, unsatisfyingâ⬠(Quinn and Baldessarini). Subsequently, Aylmerââ¬â¢s sin is presented through a dream in which he is conducting a surgery on Georgina to perfect her beauty. Aylmerââ¬â¢s idea of having a perfect wife ââ¬Å"is characterized by Hawthorne as a mark of ââ¬Ëoriginal sinââ¬â¢Ã¢â¬ (Quinn and Baldessarini) or even that mankindââ¬â¢s race is born with imperfection. This is stated by Hawthorne as ââ¬Å"the fatal flaw of humanity, which Nature, in one shape or another, stamps ineffaceably on all her production . . . to imply that they are temporary and finiteâ⬠(120). Most considerable is with the intention of Aylmerââ¬â¢s dream, clearly ââ¬Å"suggests the intense, violent and remarkably sexual reaction the birth-mark evokes in Aylmerâ⬠(Quinn and Baldessarini). Alymer is so wrapped up in his own world that he forgets reality, for he ââ¬Å"senses that escape from the human condition is hubr... ...n Aylmerââ¬â¢s obsession of removing her birthmark, so she encourages him to do what is required so that their lives wonââ¬â¢t be torn apart by this birthmark of hers, as to have it removed, even if it is to take her life. Through the actions of Aylmerââ¬â¢s obsession, greed, guilt, sin, his intolerance to imperfection and his ability to not except himself for who he is, he must therefore, reap what he sowed. Giving Georgiana the poison to drink, watching as the mark faded away; Aylmer feels he had successfully rid himself from the imperfection that troubled him so, unknowing the birthmark was actually the key to Georgianaââ¬â¢s heart and her life. As the poison took hold of her life she said to Aylmer ââ¬Å"do not repent that with so high and pure a feeling, you have rejected the best the earth could offerâ⬠(Fetterly 172) and then she died, leaving Aylmer alone and empty.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.