The Symbol of SinLiterary works contain many literary devices and can include examples such as themes, tones, plots, and symbols. Symbols in particular are a very important literary device in literary works and which give them great meaning. Symbolism can include objects, actions, or people in a story and represent the ideas the author is trying to convey. In "The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the birthmark is a symbol that represents sin in life and the fact that no matter how hard people try to be perfect, they will always have flaws. This idea is seen in “The Birthmark” by the birthmark, as sin and the birthmark cannot be hidden despite attempts to do so. Perfection for humans is impossible and no matter how perfect a person may appear, they will have sins or flaws in their life. Trying to eliminate these faults and sins on our own 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 upset by her facial imperfections. Aylmer wants to remove the birthmark from her face, but the procedure is risky because her blemishes are "deeply embedded" in her face. The story ends with Aylmer, a confident scientist enthusiast, giving Georgiana a potion to remove the birthmark. She drinks it and the birthmark disappears. Georgiana wakes up but dies shortly after. Before she dies, Georgiana assures her husband not to feel bad for what he did. First, the birthmark in “The Birthmark” represents the flaws in our lives, even though some people have seemingly perfect lives. Humans try so hard to...... middle of paper ......ion by their own works. We can use this symbol to show the story of Jesus and how He is the only way to remove our imperfections. Imperfect humans should not rely on themselves to eliminate flaws from their lives. Christ is the one to turn to for help in life. The presence of sin separates us from God and we cannot free ourselves from its penalty on our own. Although the birthmark symbol can have many meanings, sin is the most influential meaning because of its application to life. Symbols give great meaning to a story and this symbol of sin is what Nathaniel Hawthorne is trying to convey through his literary work.Works CitedHawthorne, Nathaniel. “The birthmark.” Rep. in Michael Meyer, ed. Bedford's compact introduction to literature. 9th. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012, pp. 344-354New international version. Biblical gateway. Internet. December 4. 2013.