The Birthmark

12
Why does Georgiana agrees on that Aylmer must remove the birthmark, even it means killing her?
	She agrees to that after Aylmer tells her his true opinion of her birthmark. She wills to remove it in order not to be hateful for Aylmer. She says: "If there be the remotest possibility of it, let the attempt be made at whatever risk. Danger is nothing to me; for life, while this hateful mark makes me the object of your horror and disgust,—life is a burden which I would fling down with joy. Either remove this dreadful hand, or take my wretched life! You have deep science. All the world bears witness of it. You have achieved great wonders. Cannot you remove this little, little mark, which I cover with the tips of two small fingers? Is this beyond your power, for the sake of your own peace, and to save your poor wife from madness?"
13	How Aminadab’s reaction to Aylmer experiment on Georgiana?
	He mutters to himself, "If she were my wife, I'd never part with that birthmark."
14	What is the symbol in the birthmark?
	A human hand, though of the smallest pygmy size
15	What aspects of Romanticism are explored in "The Birthmark"?
	There are explored two important aspects of romanticism: the Gothic and romantic feminism. The Gothic in literature and art is generally considered an offshoot of the romantic movement. Gothic art, poems, and stories deal with themes like the supernatural, suspense, horror, and mystery. Although some critics consider the Gothic a more sensational and lurid form of romanticism, I think the Gothic actually highlights the darker side of romantic principles. We can see this at work in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Birthmark" (1843). One of the key principles of romanticism is "idealism." However, when taken to an extreme, idealism can become unhinged narcissism, as we see in the case of the genius scientist Aylmer. Striving for the ideal of perfection, Aylmer is ready to sacrifice human life itself. Ironically, in his love for nature, Aylmer sets out to perfect and thus destroy it. Thus, the Gothic acts as a warning for the romantic tendency of excess. Whereas "feminism" in its contemporary sense as a political and philosophical movement may not exist in Romanticism, one of the key aspects of Romantic literature was closer attention to individual liberties. Women's liberties as individuals were also gaining importance within the Romantic tradition. With more emphasis on the individual and her feelings, women's subjectivity started taking center-stage in many Romantic works, including “Birthmark” too.