Literature

Common Theme Throughout The Birthmark, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

In all of the three literature work, the one common theme is the nature. All of the three works represents the author's struggle with nature, through their repeated attempts of the removal of it. The all three works illustrates the concept of man versus woman, through the femininity of nature and the masculine traits of the world of science.

Throughout the story, The Birthmark, nature is portrayed as feminine and is even present through Georgiana. This is in the same way how science is show as masculine and symbolized through Aylmer. The conflicts between science and nature are symbolic of man's need to control women. Eckstein say, "modern science is basically a masculine endeavor" (p512), as well as, "Nature is...metaphorically female" (p513). All through history, people have referred to nature with the preceding word of 'nature', leading one to the belief that nature is in feminine. Mary Rucker sees how Aylmer is intimidated by Georgiana, "Aylmer...fears sexuality" (p445), specifically feminine sexuality. Aylmer is concerned with controlling his wife, and her appearance. This shows the theme of men versus women. Aylmer saw Georgiana as an object of perfection, with the exception of the birthmark. Before he met her, all of his heart went towards science, and the art of perfecting nature, "possessed this degree of faith in man's ultimate control over nature" (p 29).

The struggles between science and nature go back and forth, matching each other in strength throughout the story. It begins when Aylmer (representing science) marries Georgiana (representing science), and the battle for dominance commences. As he battled with her birthmark, nature would not let it go, and the birthmark remained on her face. He was not content with the idea that he (science) could not control ...