Hawthorne's "The Birthmark": Science and Romance as Belief

Alymer views science as his religion, and romance is Georgianna's religion. Both of  them would do anything for their favorite subject. It's been recorded in history that man has tried to overcome nature by trying to "create life...without the help of women's childbearing capacity", which is exactly what Aylmer was trying to do. By removing the horrid birthmark from Georgianna's face, Aylmer was willing to kill his wife in order to fulfill a scientific discovery that conquers nature. Sadly, "he is left with another failure to add to his folio." Georgianna, however, thinks the opposite of Alymer. She was willing to prove her love and sacrifice her life for her husband's happiness. It was "better for Gorgianna to die for love and perfect beauty," than to live without romance or her husband's affection.