Is it just me, or did the Hawthorne's The Birthmark seem incredibly up-to-date? Why is it that Alymer couldn't see his wife, Georgiana, for the beautiful woman that she was? Why did he feel the need to change her to his satisfaction? Why did he marry her if he had such a huge problem with the little hand shaped mark on her cheek?

-- Anonymous, January 31, 2000

Answers

I think Hawthorne is making a statement about man and his attempt to alter the natural world. The mark is only a blemish if you choose to see it as one. The scientist, Alymer, saw it as a flaw that needed to be removed. It became the only thing he saw when he looked at his wife. Hawthorne is showing us that we may see many things in this world as flaws or blemishes and fail to see the true beauty that is there. However, removing the flaw was fatal, and if we are not careful we may destroy what we are attempting to improve.

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2000

I SAW IT AS HAWTHORNE TRYING TO PUT IN PRESPECTIVE THAT ALL PEOPLE TODAY AND THEN SAW ALL IMPERFECTIONS OF THERE WIFE, MOTHER, RELATIVE, ETC.WHEN ALYMER FIRST TOLD HIS WIFE THAT HE WANTED THE BIRTHMARK REMOVED, SHE WAS SHOCKED THAT HE WOULD MARRY HER AND NOW TELL HER ABOUT HER IMPERFECTIONS.I THINK THAT HE IS TRYING TO POINT OUT THAT MAYBE YOU SHOULD NOT JUDGE SOMEONE BY THEIR LOOKS,ETC. YOU SHOULD MARRY, LOVE, ETC. FOR THE WAY THEY ARE!!!!!!!!!!!!

-- Anonymous, February 02, 2000

I believe Hawthorne is pointing out that everyone would like to change others, even if it is just a small birthmark. There will always be flaws in the human and in the way humans see other humans. Yet I do not believe that you should marry someone if you want them to change towards your liking. You should love someone for who they are. If you do change their appearence you are also trying to change their personality for their appearence is part of them and it plays a part in how they interact with others.

-- Anonymous, February 11, 2000

Yes, The Birthmark does seem as if it were written in the last 10 years. There is a gross stereotype of a perfect person. People spend thousands of dollars to be "perfect." Alymer couldn't see his wife for the beautiful woman she was, this is true, but why is it that she changed her mind and agreed with her husband that the sight of her birthmark makes you shudder?

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2000