The Birthmark of Nathaniel HawthorneIn Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "The Birthmark", there are many views on the necessity of science and its progress . Hawthorne's protagonist, Aylmer, illustrates his own personal evaluation of science. The story is based on the idea that science can solve all of humanity's ills and problems. Hawthorne believes that science invades life. Aylmer is consumed by his passion to surpass Mother Nature. The story shows how Aylmer's passion leads not only to his downfall, but also to that of his wife Georgiana. The belief that science can solve and do anything is ignorance because it totally ignores the human element of spirituality. The idea of ​​hubris, which is a Greek word meaning the excessive pride of a mortal who believes they are on the level of the gods, is very apparent in the story. In ancient Greek myths, the gods usually punished those who acted with pride. Aylmer believes himself to be on the level of the gods. This is demonstrated in the passage "Aylmer possessed this degree of faith in man's ultimate control over nature" (44). Aylmer's arrogant belief that he can triumph over nature is echoed when he and Georgiana talk about removing the birthmark: "'what will be my triumph when I have corrected what nature has left imperfect in his most beautiful work'” (47). Towards the end, Aylmer is so sure of having beaten Nature that he mocks it: “'Ah motte! ah, land mass’” (55). This shows Aylmer's arrogance because it shows that he believes he is the Creator. Aylmer's delusions of grandeur are shattered at the end, with Georgiana's death. He is, so to speak, struck by the gods. In pursuit of scientific discovery, Hawthorne rai...... middle of paper ......ssful! You are perfect" (55). This perfectly shows that although science can repair something, it cannot understand that it repairs. Will science and the further development of technology be enough to replace nature? Will it replace- Is God in the human mind? Hawthorne leaves these questions open for the reader to ponder. Perhaps it is the sheer simplicity of life that Aminadab suggests in the story that will lead humanity to the. true happiness. Aylmer pursued seemingly impossible tasks that only further complicated his life and inevitably destroyed his own spirit through the death of his wife Georgiana “Alas! It was so true! The fatal hand had wrestled with the mystery of life and was the bond by which an angelic spirit held itself in union with a mortal body" (55). Bibliography: Short story "The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne