Nathaniel Hawthorne and His Themes
Nathaniel Hawthorne was very interested in themes with religious undertones. The sin of
interfering with another's soul particularly captivated him, and he explored it in several of his
works. It was one of the ideas behind "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment," in which he showcased the
pain inflicted on those who are taken advantage of. It was also a theme of The Scarlet Letter,
where the torture was wrought on both parties. This idea of playing god truly took center stage,
however, in "The Birthmark." "The sin of interfering with another's soul," as a theme, is shown
in all its different forms and is looked at from all angles by Hawthorne.
In "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment," four old friends are taken advantage of in the interest of
science and philosophy. Dr. Heidegger brings his confidants the water from the fountain of youth
and asks that they drink. They drink and become young. Upon regaining their strength and vigor,
however, the lab rats of Heidegger's experiment remake the mistakes of their past. Even with the
benefit of wisdom gained through age, youth corrupts. Thankfully, mercifully, the effects soon
wear off, and they are once again withered.
"Yes! they were old again. With a shuddering
impulse, that showed her a woman still, the widow clasped her skinny hands before her face, and
wished that the coffin lid were over it, since it could be no longer beautiful" Hawthorne, "Dr.
Heidegger's Experiment"
While the folly of these people is given the most attention to, one must not forget
Heidegger himself. That very singular man, Dr. Heidegger brought pain and anguish upon those
who trusted him. He essentially played god, toying with the natural order of things and the very
souls of his friends. He took no risk, not drinking the water, but he irreversibly corrupted the
minds and hearts of others. Heidegger learns the lesson,
"But the doctor's four friends had taught
no such lesson to themselves. They resolved forthwith to make a pilgrimage to Florida, and quaff
at morning, noon, and night, from The Fountain of Youth" Hawthorne, "Dr. Heidegger's
Experiment"
Hawthorne has extrapolated on the idea of "The sin of interfering with another's
soul," and the effects it has on others.
In The Scarlet Letter, however, Hawthorne is more even-handed. Here the "interferer"
suffers along with the "interferee," as it were. Mr. Dimmesdale, having committed adultery and
unable to admit it, becomes a shell of a man, and a sickly one at that. Roger Chillingworth, the
new town physician, takes it upon himself to discover Dimmesdale's dark secret. He devotes his
life to the task, and seeks no other goal's fulfillment:
"Never know him! Believe me, Hester,
there are few things,- whether in the outward world, or, to a certain depth, in the invisible sphere
of thought,- few things hidden from the man, who devotes himself earnestly and unreservedly to
the solution of a mystery" Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, p. 67
He judges the source of
Dimmesdale's torture, and afflicts Dimmesdale further. Dimmesdale is not the only victim of
Chillingworth, though. Chillingworth himself becomes inhuman, and even comes to
represent the devil at times.
In the beginning of the tale, Chillingworth is a good, intellectual man who has been
wronged by his wife and an unknown adulterer. As the plot unfolds, he interferes with another's
soul. And that is where things go wrong for him. The theme is unmistakable, and very intriguing.
Here Hawthorne explores the thought that this action, infringing on another's soul, harms any
and all parties involved.
In "The Birthmark," Hawthorne takes another look at this theme. This time, however, he
takes it to extremes. Georgiana, a woman of great beauty and personality, has but one defect: a
birthmark on her face in the shape of a hand. Aylmer, her husband, and also a scientist of great
ability, is horribly troubled by this imperfection. He believes in flawlessness.
"Dearest Georgiana, you came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature that this slightest possible defect,
which we hesitate whether to term a defect or a beauty, shocks me, as being the visible mark of
earthly imperfection" Hawthorne, "The Birthmark"
Georgiana is easily convinced, and permits
Aylmer to attempt to remove the hand. In doing this, he is obviously committing the sin of
interfering with another's soul, as so many characters do in Hawthorne's world.
In "The Birthmark," Hawthorne takes the view that doing this is equivalent to playing
god, similar to the stance he takes in "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment." Hawthorne believed that no
good could come of such an enterprise. And, indeed, Aylmer is punished for what he does to
Georgiana. For once she becomes perfect, she dies, leaving Aylmer alone. One is not to interfere
with someone else's heart or mind. But if one does, the consequences are dire.
Nathaniel Hawthorne explored the theme of "The sin of interfering with another's soul"
in many of his stories, and certainly tried to convince the reader of his opinion. The punishments
suffered are different in each tale, in order to illustrate Hawthorne"s view. In The Scarlet Letter,
both Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are destroyed. In "Dr. Heidegger's experiment,"
Heidegger's four friends are ruined by his meddling. And in "The Birthmark," Hawthorne
displays the ultimate loss of someone who went too far. Hawthorne sought to enlighten us to the
folly of interfering with the soul, or the true nature, of another person.