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A word of caution in The Birthmark.

By: Nathaniel Hawthorne

Science and the research involved in it has been the pulse of our society for decades. With each new discovery, each new advancement in technology, we are able to help people live healthier, happier lives. However, there is a line that few have crossed in the field of science that raises heated debates that span the globe. From the idea of stem cell research to the suggestion of cloning, many believe that science, if taken too far, or winding up in the wrong hands has the potential to create disaster. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s’ "The Birthmark," the author tells a story of a newly wed young scientist who ultimately kills his own wife by pursuing cosmetic perfection while trying to remove a birthmark from her face, and simultaneously relays a message to us all: There can be no perfection in nature through science.
It is evident in the beginning that Hawthorne doesn’t wish to speak out against the idea of science in general, but rather the quest for "p...

Posted by: Carlos Hernandez

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