Trading Life for Perfection

Hawthorne's "The Birth Mark" is a well written tale about husband and wife. The wife has a birthmark on her face that is in the shape of a hand that makes her husband not find her as beautiful as he once did. The more he was around it the more he wanted to get rid of it because as he said it was the one mark of imperfection on an otherwise perfect woman. He tries to get rid of it by using science but as the mark fades she loses her life and she dies as a result so that she is perfect but dead. This story has many lessons to be learned whether one does a deep reading or a surface reading. On the surface it is a story about the desire for protection ruining a woman many would be completely satisfied with, including his assistant, this showing that one should be happy with what you have. Slightly deeper still one could see how his view of her beauty drove him and her insane. His constant disparaging remarks about the birthmark ruined his ability to love her as she was and stopped her from ever finding herself beautiful or worthy of his love again, even to the point that she would rather be dead than have him shutter when he looks at her. Deeper still is a commentary about science itself. Science can manipulate the world but it can't improve upon what God has created without serious consequences. Alchemist tried to turn lead into gold and give everlasting life, but only God can create or determine how long a person should live. By trying to improve upon her nature and remove what some thought was the touch of an angel, Aylmer was trying to change God's will and she died as a result. Science's best work that is thought of as diamonds are only worth pebbles as Georgiana implied and most of their best works are failures because they show what can't be done. By always striving for something better or the impossible, no one can ever be happy.

Hawthorne and Melville

Our reading for Friday of this week was Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown and Melville's review of that story. To begin with Hawthorne sets his character, Goodman Brown, on a journey that we know from the start is "evil" but for some reason he must go anyways. This is the start of a theme that all people will sin even if they don't want to. Brown even says that after tonight he will never do evil again and that he wants to be at home with his wife who is the embodiment of youth and innocence. As he continues his journey he meets up with a man who it turns out to be is Satan. The settings being at night and on a path are clearly symbolic as darkness signifying the sinister journey ahead. Paths are mentioned throughout the Bible and they determine where you go in life, by following Satan's path he is going to hell, which is how his life turns out to be. On the path he learns that everyone is sinful and in the service of the devil no matter how good they seem to be and even his wife is shown to be bad. He seems to wake up out of a dream but the rest of his life is influenced by this journey, never can he trust or be with someone again like he used to. He dies not alone but unhappy and in this way his life was truly his hell. This story presents a depressing view on life that all are sinners in life, but it also serves as a warning that worrying about sin can't be what matters most to a person. Goodman Brown saw that all were sinners and it consumed him. It is more important to live well and accept that people have faults.

Melville praised Hawthorne's work as equal to or better than Shakespeare's works. Page after page of laudatory words appear to give Hawthorne high honors. However, once one looks closely at Melville's work it shows its true intent is to prove that American authors are every bit as good as British or French authors. He says that if America would be patrons of American authors they soon would be better than the best of contemporary or past authors in the world. He also instructs American authors to be the best writers they can be and not to worry about criticisms about being imitators or failing in originality. It is clearly a work of a man trying to prove to the world that there are American authors that are great and he has found one named Hawthorne.

The Group By Mercy Otis Warren

Mercy Otis Warren wrote this wonderful play called “The Group”. Her depiction of the people in this play was extremely positive of those loyal to the revolution and negative of those opposed to it. The revolutionists were all lovers of freedom and defenders of the natural rights people should have. She drew parallels between these Patriots with those of Britons when they were throwing off Roman rule. Those loyal to the crown had a mixture of personalities; some wanted everyone to die in battle and to leave the country in ruin while others thought that they had no chance of ever defeating the “honorable revolutionaries.” Those who were American and supported the crown were seen as traitors and having fallen under the spell of no good Rapatio.

These of course were the feelings of many Americans at the time, but the way she was able to set up the play was quite ingenious. It has a very epic or heroic quality to it with the constant allusions to ancient Rome. George Washington is seen as a Brutus who killed Caesar so that the senate could rule. Those who fought for freedom fought with the gods on their side:

“No all is over unless the sword decides,
Which cuts down Kings, and kingdoms often divides.
By that appeal I think we can't prevail,
Their valor's great, and justice holds the scale.
They fight for freedom, while we stab the breast
Of every man, who is her friend professed.
They fight in virtue's ever sacred cause,
While we tread on divine and human laws.
Glory and victory, and lasting fame,
Will crown their arms and bless each Hero's name!”

This epic of the 18^th century praised the valor of the Patriotic and condemned the actions of many more. Loyalty to the crown was always promoted by vice (such as bribery or maintaining a high position) where as loyalty to America is result of virtue. Like Hector or Achilles who died as heroes, so would many American men but their blood would anoint the ground as holy and even more deserving of being free. With this play she condemned Tories and extolled patriotic sentiment to encourage the continuing battle against tyranny.

Benjamin Franklin part three

Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography seems to follow the same progression as how he would desire someone to live their life. His first part begins by saying he isn’t perfect and tells tales of both triumphs and defeats in Franklin’s life. He is honest in his assessment of his own life, and though he does some cushioning of his faults by using beautiful prose, he is still open with his faults. Even admitting to going after his good friend’s love interest. This very much like the youthful stage in life, where mistakes are made and knowledge is gained through them. The second part of his autobiography goes on to work on his virtues and attempt to perfect himself, at least in the eyes of others. Young adulthood shines through with the development of morals and “character”. Each of the stages has less and less faults than the previous. Finally, in his third section of his autobiography Franklin comes across as almost faultless. He shows not one instance of his making any real mistakes. The entire section is a continuous praising of himself and all the wonderful accomplishments he did. He always knows better than the common man and even better than those who should know more than him, such as a general. Nothing gets done without him and he is placed in positions of power without asking or showing any interest in power, is what he is trying to show. However, this simply does not happen. Without some show of a desire to be in power, no one would try to put you into power because without desire you may not perform well in your position. His complete lack of faults in the third section is unrealistic and shows Benjamin Franklin completing his outward appearance of perfection.