POE AND HAWTHORNE

An Explication and Analysis on The Social Meanings of Poes The Tell Tale Heart (1843) and The Fall of the House of Usher (1839), and Hawthornes The Birthmark (1843) and Rapaccinis Daughter (1844)

An Explication and Analysis on The Social Meanings of Poes The Tell Tale Heart (1843) and The Fall of the House of Usher (1839), and Hawthornes The Birthmark (1843) and Rapaccinis Daughter (1844)
Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne are two renowned authors who have already established a name in the world of literature as masters when it comes to the unfathomable and highly dramatic short stories. These authors have become typical subjects of discussion when tackling novels that are inclined on the more gloomy and poignant themes. Over the years, their works have been highly acclaimed by literary critics not just due to the perceived literary quality of such works, but also due to the perceived significance of the meanings of such works in portraying the ambiguous ideal of human condition. Hence, the objective of this discussion shall focus on analyzing the significance of the social meanings employed in Hawthorne and Poes works to the reality of human condition. This discussion shall also look into the literary quality of the poets works based on the effectiveness of their usage of the primary literary elements. Thus, the succeeding parts of this discussion shall particularly explore two of each authors famous works specifically, Poes The Tell Tale Heart and The Fall of the House of Usher, and Hawthornes  The Birthmark and Rapaccinis Daughter.

The Tell Tale Heart (1843) and The Fall of the House of Usher (1839) by Edgar Allan Poe
The Tell Tale Heart is one of Poes most famous and most reviewed works. In this story a man who is psychologically disturbed claims that he is not mad. Despite the apparent irregularity and strangeness in the unnamed protagonists behavior, he still claims and argues to the readers that he is not insane. The obsession in this story can be seen on the protagonists thoughts about his old neighbors blue eyes, his heartbeat and his sanity as well.

It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye yes, it was this He had the eye of a vulture --a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold and so by degrees --very gradually --I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever. (Poe, 1993, p. 221)

In these lines, the anxiety of the protagonist as he talks about the old mans eyes is very obvious. However, just like a child who tries so hard to fight off his fears, it appears that the unnamed protagonist in this story also struggles in fighting off the thought that he might already be going insane. The elements of exposition, conflict and rising action are very notable in this story. It is incontestable that the story was made more exciting and thrilling as Poe vividly pictures the scenes as well as the emotions and feelings of his characters. In each scene, the protagonists rising anxiety about the old mans blue eyes and heartbeat is augmented and emphasized by stirring narration True --nervous --very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am but why will you say that I am mad The disease had sharpened my senses --not destroyed --not dulled them. (Poe, 1993, p. 221). On the other hand, The Fall of the House of Usher depicts a more gothic and eerie setting. Unlike in the previously discussed story, in this story, the author focuses on the setting instead on the thoughts of the protagonist. It seems like the author wanted to build up the supernaturality in the story by emphasizing on the setting. However, just like in the first story, Poe also dwelled on the characters dim thoughts. Most of the interesting exposition in this story comes from the unnamed narrator. However, it can also be observed that Roderick Usher, also displaces most of the exposition. In this story, the traditional portrayal of a haunted house and ghostly figures were revived beautifully by Poe. The most notable point in the story comes from the climactic scene in the end where Roderick finally revealed to the narrator that he his sister rose from her tomb so avenge her death. Just like in the first story, the obsession in this tale lies on Rodericks belief that the house has been haunted for years, and that staying there did not really do anything pleasant for his and his sisters health. Just like the protagonist in The Tell Tale Heart, Roderick Usher also appears to me obsessed with eerie thoughts like death and ghosts. Though this character appears more sane and normal than the character from the first story, they nonetheless both present a similar kind of obsession toward dark and enigmatic ideals such as death, darkness and loneliness.

The Birthmark (1843) and Rapaccinis Daughter (1844) by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Hawthorne has also presented interesting depictions of obsessions as what can be observed in his two works, The Birthmark and Rapaccinis Daughter. In The Birthmark, Hawthorne introduces a character, Aylmer, who presents a very interesting obsession on her wife, Georginas birthmark. Aylmer thinks that his wife is almost perfect, and that the birthmark on her almost flawless cheek is the greatest hindrance to such perfection.

Had she been less beautiful, -- if Envys self could have found aught else to sneer at, -- he might have felt his affection heightened by the prettiness of this mimic hand, now vaguely portrayed, now lost, now stealing forth again and glimmering to and fro with every pulse of emotion that throbbed within her heart but seeing her otherwise so perfect, he found this one defect grow more and more intolerable with every moment of their united lives. It was the fatal flaw of humanity which Nature, in one shape or another, stamps ineffaceably on all her productions, either to imply that they are temporary and finite, or that their perfection must be wrought by toil and pain. (Hawthorne, 1865, p. 46)

The obsession of Aylmer evidently focuses on his wifes frustrated perfection. His perspective of the scar is like a minute imperfection which seemed to destroy and ruin a potentially surpassing beauty. As a follower of science, it is quite understandable that Aylmer creates develops a peculiar obsession to beauty as he must have been used to doing things perfectly and flawlessly through the help of scientific tools. However, Aylmers greatest dilemma comes as he is faced with the reality that not all imperfections can be corrected by science, as not all imperfections are needed to be corrected. On the other hand, Rapaccinis Daughter tells a more familiar kind of obsession to the readers. In this story, Hawthorne introduces Giovanni, a young lad who has always been fascinated about the beautiful things he encounters. A day came when he set foot on Dr. Rapaccinis garden filled with the most beautiful plants and landscaping. It is also in this place where he meets, Beatrice, Rapaccinis daughter. This is where Giovanis obsession starts.

Giovanni has been used to seeing the most beautiful things in the world no matter how scrutinizing his eyes are. He immediately considers Beatrice as the most beautiful creature he laid eyes upon from the first time he sees her. Giovanni thinks that Beatrice is another flower, the human sister of those vegetable ones, as beautiful as they-- more beautiful than the richest of them-- but still to be touched only with the glove, nor to be approached without a mask (Hawthorne, 2004, p. 4). Both of these works by Hawthorne evidently displays characters with particular obsessions of the value of beauty and perfection. It is quite obvious that the author holds a particular leaning on the ideal of beauty and perfection as a natural human obsession. Although both stories did not consist of powerful expositions and climactic scenes, both tales nonetheless presents an incontestable reality that human nature really allows people to develop some forms of obsession towards beauty and perfection.
Both authors displayed interesting perspectives on human nature and human condition. Through the depiction of the theme of obsession, both authors appear to argue interesting thoughts about some realities of human condition. Poe, through his works, The Tell Tale Heart and The Fall of the House of Usher appears to center his perspective on the natural human tendency to deteriorate in terms of psychological health or sanity. Through these works, Poes perspectives about some reality on being insane and psychologically disturbed appear very clear. It seems like the author considers such a condition as one of the most precarious state any person can ever be in. Poe also seems to argue that insanity is nonetheless a naturally occurring possibility which can either be brought by mental deterioration due to old-agedness or due to extreme psychological trauma. On the other hand, Hawthorne displays an interesting leaning on beauty and perfection. Based on his two works, The Birthmark and Rapuccinis Daughter, Hawthorne presents obsession to beauty and perfections as one of the primary causes of human desperation.

Hawthorne apparently argues that an obsession to beauty and perfection is one of the most natural human obsessions however, this can also be one of the most potent sources of human desperation, as what has been depicted in the ending of the two stories. Thus, it can be inferred that as per the authors objective of depicting realities about the human condition, the theme of obsession has really been very significant. Through this theme, the driving force and the anxieties of the characters about their obsessions became very evident thus making the natural tendencies of humans to be fixated on things like loneliness, death, beauty and perfection more perceptible.