The Symbol of Sin Literary works contain many literary devices and may include examples such as themes, tone, plot, and symbols. Symbols in particular are a very important literary device in literary works and provide great meaning to the work. Symbolism can include objects, actions, or people in a story and represent ideas the author is trying to convey. In "The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the birthmark is a symbol representing sin in life and the fact that no matter how much people try to be perfect, they will always have flaws. This idea is seen in “The Birthmark” by the birthmark because both the sin and the birthmark cannot be hidden despite attempts to do so. Perfection for human beings is impossible and no matter how perfect a person may seem, he will have sins or flaws in his life. Trying to remove these defects and sins by our own actions will lead to death because there is only one solution to these problems. "The Birthmark" is a story about Aylmer and Georgiana. Georgiana has a birthmark on her face that Aylmer despises. Georgiana is a beautiful woman that many men would die for, but Aylmer is shocked by her facial blemish. Aylmer wants to remove the birthmark from her face, but the procedure is risky because the blemish is "deeply woven" into her face. The story ends with the confident scientific enthusiast Aylmer giving Georgiana a potion to remove the birthmark. He drinks it and the craving vanishes. Georgiana wakes up but dies shortly after. Before dying, Georgiana assures her husband that she does not feel guilty for what he has done. First, the birthmark in “The Birthmark” represents the flaws in our lives despite some people having seemingly perfect lives. Human beings try so hard to......middle of paper......ion with his own works. We can take this symbol to show the story of Jesus and how He is the only way to remove our imperfections. Imperfect human beings should not rely on themselves to eliminate the flaws in their lives. Christ is the one to ask for help in life. The presence of sin distances us from God and we cannot free ourselves from its punishment alone. While multiple meanings can be derived from the birthmark symbol, sin is the most influential meaning due to the application it has in life. Symbols provide great meaning to a story and this symbol of sin is what Nathaniel Hawthorne is trying to convey through his literary work. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The desire”. Rpt. in Michael Meyer, ed. Bedford's compact introduction to literature. 9. Boston, Massachusetts: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012, pp. 344-354New international version. Bible Door. Network. 04 December. 2013.