The Power of Blackness in "The Birth-mark"

Time and time again we see this theme of nature v. nurture appear in different stories and in various forms. The idea always behind it is that despite the fact that man has made numerous discoveries in an attempt to control nature, man has come close but still has not managed to have control over nature. Things of nature are not static, occur randomly, and cannot always be understood so man has always been inferior to nature. This concept was understood by Mather, Jefferson, and Franklin, but Hawthorne’s character, Aylmer, presents a unique case where man actually believes that the human mind can deceive nature. It is a foolish idea because one cannot know more than its creator, specifically in a spiritual sense. Aylmer clearly defies the rules of understanding, according to John Locke, which include sensation and reflection. Of course his ideas would arise from his use of both sensations in conducting experiments and then reflecting upon them to correct any mistakes, but he cannot settle for using nature to advance technology. What could be driving this madness, or this desire to have control over nature could be linked to the idea of “the power of blackness.” This innate depravity or idea of original sin could explain Aylmer’s selfish desires. Melville coins this term to describe Hawthorne’s ideas and his characters. The “power of blackness” has stimulated debate and several interpretations of what it could mean. The “power of blackness” could be interpreted to symbolize the original sin that lives in man as a result of the fall of man at the beginning of time or it could be seen as an undertone that alludes to the paralleling of darkness with blackness. Both ideas could be supported with ideas and the characters of “The Birth-mark.”
The moral of “The Birth-mark” supports the idea that man possesses some innate form of evil because Aylmer strives to explain and understand everything about life. He cannot accept that nature cannot be fully understood or controlled, but instead approaches life thinking that he can manipulate nature without understanding that life is more complex than what the human mind can interpret through simple experiences. The evil that underlies Aylmer is the desire to change his wife’s appearance in an attempt to make her perfect. He not only views his wife’s birth-mark as a defect, but the way in which he treats his wife as a result is shameful of the manner in which a husband should treat his wife. “No, dearest Georgiana, you came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature…which we hesitate whether to term a defect or a beauty—shocks me, as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection” (2276). Instead of seeing the positivism in the birth-mark, a mark signifying that she has been touched by an angel or fairy, he chooses to look at the birth-mark as “the symbol of his wife’s liability to sin, sorrow, decay, and death” (2277). The worse part is that he knew that his experiments were typically not successful. He chooses not to think rationally and places his wife’s life in danger in order to experiment with “Man, her (Nature’s) masterpiece” (2279).
The “power of blackness” in relation to race could be interpreted in the depiction of Aminadab. Hawthorne presents a physical description of Aminadab as “a man of low stature, but bulky frame, with shaggy hair hanging about his visage, which was grimed with the vapors of the furnace” (2279). Now it could be a stretch, but this description could be used to imply that Aminadab is darker in complexion, not directly implying that he is of African-American descent. The fact that Aminadab refers to Aylmer as his master also signifies a sense of inferiority, which was common of servants or slaves. Aylmer also refers to Aminadab as a “human machine” and a “man of clay” implying that he has control over him and could mold him in whichever way he pleases. This “power of blackness” does not have to be interpreted to symbolize evil because Aminadab is the better man compared to Aylmer. He realizes the wickedness in Aylmer’s actions when he mutters to himself: “If she were my wife, I’d never part with the birth-mark” (2280). It is evident that Aminadab is more humble therefore; blackness could be a symbol of goodness.