A Biographical Approach to "The Birthmark"
Liz Rosenberg's reading of "The Birthmark" in her article, “'The Best That Earth Could Offer’: ‘The Birth-mark,’ A Newlywed's Story,” is not exactly best described as a biographical reading, but it does have some aspects of biographical criticism. Rosenberg argues that "The Birthmark" is ultimately a story about marriage and love; she bases this argument on the fact that Hawthorne wrote this story soon after he was married to Sophia Peabody. "Written in 1843, it was Hawthorne's first work of fiction following his own marriage to Sophia. It remains clearly a newlywed's story, fresh with the author's anxieties, hopes, and fears." (Rosenberg 145)
Rosenberg suggests that a lot of the neuroses and fears displayed by Aylmer are, to some degree, manifestations of Hawthorne's own feelings about his marriage. Hawthorne seems to have been going through some kind of exploratory phase when he wrote this story because, as Rosenberg points out, he uncharacteristically "ends by praising the imperfect and mortal quality of human nature" (145). As seen is Hawthorne's other stories, he had a "skepticism concerning human nature" (Meyer 399) that bordered on suspicion.
The ending of "The Birthmark" is, therefore, best seen understood in context of Hawthorne's life. Rosenberg explains that the recently married Hawthorne was struggling with questions about the |
"Hawthorne's love of reality was inseparable from his love for Sophia." (Rosenberg 150)
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meaning of love, marriage, and adultery, as well as aspects of the differences between divine love and earthly love. She suggests that while later in his career Hawthorne became more cynical, at this point he embraced human nature and was, in fact, criticizing Aylmer for not doing the same (149).
In her conclusion, Rosenberg says that Hawthorne's main premise in "The Birthmark," based on his recent marriage, is "that human nature is its own proof of divinity and human love its highest expression" (150).
In her conclusion, Rosenberg says that Hawthorne's main premise in "The Birthmark," based on his recent marriage, is "that human nature is its own proof of divinity and human love its highest expression" (150).