It's Alive by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: epub, ebook, QuarkXPress
Publisher: Crystal Lake Publishing
Published: 2018-12-13T16:00:00+00:00

UNVEILING THEME THROUGH PLOT: AN ANALYSIS OF NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE’S “THE BIRTHMARK”

STEPHANIE M. WYTOVICH

MORE OFTEN THAN not, writing a story or a poem is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece fits (or doesn’t fit) together. Eventually through a lot of trial and error, the bigger picture, or theme, starts to reveal itself. When defined in its broadest sense, theme is the central idea or abstract heartbeat of the story. It either directly or indirectly shows us a reoccurring concept that flows through the narrative highlighting the response or message the author wants their reader to leave with, and while theme is never explicitly spelled out for the reader, it is shown through characterization, conflict, iconography, and tone, hence making the plot points of story—exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and denouement—all the more important to the unveiling at the end.

Let’s take for instance Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “The Birthmark.” Readers are first introduced to Aylmer, “a man of science, an eminent proficient in every branch of natural philosophy, who not long before our story opens had made experience of a spiritual affinity more attractive than any chemical one” (Hawthorne 357).

We learn that despite his proclivity toward science and discovery, that he has fallen in love and newly devoted himself to his bride, Georgianna. One day, Aylmer asks Georgianna whether she has ever considered having the birthmark on her cheek removed. This obsession with the blemish on her face, one that is described as, “a healthy though delicate bloom” lays out the exposition of the plot as readers prepare for the inevitable onslaught of the mark’s removal (Hawthorne 358).

The rising action, defined as incidents that create suspense such as, but not limited to, character flaws, decisions, background story etc., is shown through a series of actions that Aylmer uses in an attempt to prove that he will be successful in the mark’s removal. Georgianna, being completely smitten and in awe of her husband and his talents, tries to explain to him that she is willing to undergo any risk if it will make him look favorably upon her again.

“Danger is nothing to me; for life, while this hateful mark makes me the object of your horror and disgust, life is a burden when I would fling down with joy” (Hawthorne 360).

In an effort to both meet her demands and prove to himself that he can outwit nature, Aylmer presents three separate experiments to Georgianna: a plant, a portrait, and the elixir of life.

When he shows her the plant, one that preemptively shoots up from the soil and blossoms into a gorgeous flower, he urges her to touch it. When she does, the plant quickly turns a coal-black color only to then shrivel up and die. This is the first instance of foreshadowing, soon followed by the portrait Aylmer attempts to take of Georgianna through a series of light against polished metal. When he goes to check her picture, he notices that her face is, “blurred and indefinable while the minute figure of a hand appeared where the cheek should have been” (Hawthorne 363).

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.