Niquisha Keys Professor Suwak English 1020 10/30/17 A Social/ Historical Analysis of The Birthmark By: Nathaniel Hawthorne One of the greatest influences on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” is found in his hometown of Salem, Massachusetts. During the 17 century Puritans colonized New England, which included Massachusetts. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s great-great grandfather was John Hathome, a Massachusetts Bay Colony judge (Hawthorne Life). John Hathorne was a Puritan whose goal was to purify the Catholic church; he strictly followed the bible and ruthlessly punished those who did not (Hawthorne Life). John Hathome was notoriously remembered by Nathaniel Hawthorne for his role in the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem Witch Trials was a Series of Trials held by Puritans in Salem, Massachusetts to prosecute suspected witches that bewitched the Puritan community with their supernatural powers (Crocker). Puritans such as John Hathorne believed that prosecuting suspected witches proved that they were loyal servants of God. Beliefs of Puritans included the need to purify the people who do not literally follow the Bible and the idea that Puritans “glorify and do the will of God” (Crier). Through the Salem Witch Trials, Puritans believed that they were doing the work of god by ridding New England of the supernatural. The bibleitaly preaches against the supernatural such as in Leviticus 19:31 and Deuteronomy 18:9-13; these Bible verses tell Christians not to seek out the supernatural and that supernatural creatures are abominations (“35 Bible Verses about Supernatural”). However, the Puritans soon began to overstep their boundaries by playing God. Puritans used witches to explain and to control their “visible world”; if'a suspected witch was imprisoned, Puritans believed that Indian attacks would stop, and the winter would not be as cold (Crocker). Nathaniel Hawthomne felt guilty about the unethical actions of John Hathome, and about the lack of consequences John Hathorne faced for his role as a Salem Judge during the time (Hawthome Life). In “The Birthmark”, Nathaniel Hawthome examines the negative consequences of attempting to exert control over nature through his criticism of Puritanism and alchemy. Nathaniel Hawthome did not agree with Puritan views on Nature (“Hawthorne life”). Due to the many hardships aboard the Mayflower and their first year in Massachusetts, Puritans believed that “Nature was against humans” (Crocker). Through their faith, Puritans believed they could overcome hardships by controlling the force of nature through their creation of witches. Nathaniel Hawthome’s “The Birthmark” illustrates how Aylmer attempted to control nature in a way similar to the Puritans in Salem, Massachusetts, Aylmer believed that nature created Georgiana perfect accept for her birthmark; he thought thebirthmark was “the fatal flaw of humanity which Nature... stamps ineffaceably on all her creations” (Hawthorne, 213). Aylmer believed that the birthmark symbolizes Georgiana’s “liability to sin, sorrow, decay, and death” (Hawthome, 213), Aylmer attempted to purify Georgina of her humanity by removing the mark from her face to correct “what Nature left imperfect in her fairest work” (Hawthome,215). Aylmer wanted a physically perfect wife that was not constrained by her human nature, so he wanted to go against nature and remove the birthmark to remove her mortality and ability to sin (Hawthome 214). However, by attempting to remove Georgiana’s symbolized humanity, Aylmer takes her life as well. He fails to realize that Georgiana cannot live without her Nature given humanity, for that is what makes her human. Aylmer wanted ultimate control over Nature, so he attempted to change and perfect the work of Nature using Alchemy. Alchemy is a sub category of Chemistry that focuses on the sublime and almost magical reactions of Chemistry. ‘The nfairy goals of alchemists were to purify and perfect elements to make them more valuable and to create the elixir of life (Cite). In The Birthmark” Hawthorne mentions famous medieval natural philosophers such as Albertus Magnus, Agrippa, and Paracelsus; Aylmer thought it was dangerous for Georgiana to read the works of these philosophers due to the power he believed they had. Aylmer thought the works of these philosophers were dangerous due to the “power above