The Birthmark
1. Aylmer’s assistant, Aminadab, laughs twice at the end of the story. The first time he laughs, he seems to be laughing with triumph that Georgiana’s birthmark is fading. But after Georgiana dies, he laughs again. Why is he laughing that second time?
2. Aylmer creates a plant that quickly grows, blooms into a flower, and then dies in the hands of Georgiana. What does this plant and its quick demise symbolize? Find three examples throughout the story that foreshadow Georgiana’s death. Cite them. Explain them.
3. Other than being a vain jerk who wants a “perfect” wife, why is Aylmer trying to rid Georgiana of the birthmark? If he succeeds, what will it mean to him? Again, Hawthorne tells you right in his story. Find it. Cite it. Explain it.
4. Analyze the following excerpt of what the birthmark symbolizes: “It was the fatal flaw of humanity which Nature, in one shape or another, stamps ineffaceably on all her productions, either to imply that they are temporary and finite, or that their perfection must be wrought by toil and pain.” So what does this mean in simpler language? Find another excerpt or phrase in the story that suggests what the birthmark symbolizes. Cite it and explain it in your own words.
Analyze the last few lines of the story
What is the narrator saying in simpler language? What theme or commentary is the narrator making about Aylmer or about humankind in general?
