Nature wears its faults and flaws as a badge of its own perfection which in society, is deemed undesirable and unacceptable. Humans carry the burden of nature’s imperfection and aspire to live without any defect in order to reach the fascinating allure of beauty. Ultimately, the unrealistic idea to change to the image of “perfection” is impossible. Themes of man playing God and tampering with nature are seen everywhere. In literature, similar stories depict man's attempt to modify nature through extensive and highly dangerous scientific procedures. Nathaniel Hawthorne's short stories "The Birthmark," "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment", and "Rappaccini's Daughter" criticize man's obsessive and unrealistic expectations of perfection through scientific…show more content… Nathaniel Hawthorne's humiliation drove him to state, “I take shame upon myself for [my family’s] sakes, and pray that any curse incurred by them… may now and henceforth [be] removed” (Hawthorne qtd. Mabie 17). At a young age, Hawthorne’s life coincided of illnesses which led to a period of intense alternate medications or “‘irregular’ practices such as Thomsonianism, homeopathy, eclecticism and water cure” (Cerulli). Nathaniel Hawthorne provides insight into the social and political formation of medical authority in the past and his fear of doctor’s arose along with the belief that they’re killers which, inspired his work. “Hawthorne creates characters who were single minded and deadly” (Cerulli). In “The Birthmark”, scientist Aylmer is described as a man “who not long before [the] story opens made experiences of a spiritual affinity more attractive than any chemical one” (The Birthmark). Dr. Heidegger in “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” is believed to have killed his “slightly disordered” wife when she “accidently” swallowed one of his “prescriptions, and died on the bridal evening” (Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment). Finally, Dr. Rappaccini unflinchingly brings death in “Rappaccini’s Daughter” when
