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Situational Irony
Style
Explanation and Analysis:
"The Birthmark" is written in a grand and lofty style in order to convey a sense of inevitability. Each sentence brims with elegant phrases that illustrate the downfall of those who fall prey to their own perfectionism. The third-person narration allows Hawthorne to explore the consciousnesses of both Aylmer and Georgiana while maintaining enough of a distance to cultivate a moralizing tone.
This story typifies 19th-century Dark Romantic style in its interest in the human psyche (as well as the way it mirrors the workings of the human psyche in its descriptions of physical places). For instance, lengthy sentences and frequent exclamations mirror Aylmer's excitement about removing Georgiana's birthmark. The soft, flowing prose used to describe Georgiana and her boudoir recall her feminine submission to Aylmer. And the story's efficient pace suggests that those who succumb to unnatural obsessions will soon meet dire consequences.
The use of dialect also distinguishes "The Birthmark." Because the story is set in the late 18th century, the characters often address each other as "thee" and "thou." This stylistic choice not only immerses the reader in the story's setting and time period; it also evokes the language of religious texts, which furthers the story's didactic, moralistic tone.
Related Themes:
