“The desire” – Women“Everything he has to say is linked, finally, to 'that inner sphere'. For the heart is the meeting place of all forces – spiritual and physical, light and dark, which compete for dominance in the nature of man. . . .” (McPherson 68-69). McPherson's "heart" is the key to understanding the role of women in Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story, "The Birthmark." Only imperfection is what the short-sighted Aylmer sees in the birthmark on Georgiana's cheek. But unfortunately he is unaware of the virtue of her soul, of the profound beauty contained within the depths of her love for him. The wife's virtue leads her onward and upward; her husband's lack of this and inability to appreciate the virtue in his Georgiana brings him lower and lower. The concept of woman is established right in the opening paragraph of “The Birthmark.” The narrator presents Aylmer as a scientist who found "a spiritual affinity more attractive than any chemical affinity", referring to his love for Georgiana. She is described as having meaning in Aylmer's life – not primarily, but secondarily to his scientific interests. Even after Aylmer has "persuaded a beautiful woman to become his wife," he is unable to love her properly, selflessly, because "he had devoted himself, however, too unreservedly to scientific studies to ever be weaned from it by a second passion." The narrator tries to justify this mistake or lack of Aylmer by explaining that “it was not unusual for the love of science to rival the love of woman in its depth and engaging energy.” Already at the beginning of the story the reader perceives that Georgiana will be cheated in this marriage. She is exposed to the initial problem...... half of the paper ......el . The Birthmark Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=HawBirt.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part =1&division= div1McPherson, Hugo. “Hawthorne's Use of Mythology.” In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Stewart, Randall. "Hawthorne's Female Characters." In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.Swisher, Clarice. "Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Biography." In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.Williams, Stanley T. “The Puritan Mind of Hawthorne.” In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.