In Hawthorne's "The Birthmark," Georgiana's birthmark bears the shape of a hand, but the "hand" refers to much more than a physical description. Alluding to the mark as a work of God, Hawthorne implies God created this flaw as a portrayal of the predestined sin. Although Georgiana appears perfect, she lives the life of a mortal, therefore she must carry the burden of Original Sin. Aylmer blames Nature for this "fatal flaw of humanity" and attempts to rid Georgiana of this imperfection through scientific methods (Hawthorne 12). But as Hawthorne illustrates in his short story, no mortal can…
