Birthmark

The birthmark symbolizes the overriding power of nature over all naturally created things. Aylmer views the birthmark as the only flaw in Georgiana’s physical form, and he desires to remove it in order to exercise his power over nature. However, while the concoction he creates erases the birthmark, it also kills Georgiana.

Aylmer’s Notebook

Aylmer’s notebook symbolizes the beauty and reverence for nature that Aylmer has tragically lost. In Aylmer’s notebook of past experiments, he records his findings with an almost spiritual reverence for natural, physical phenomena. However, his experiments always fell short of his goals and expectations, and he apparently developed an adversarial relationship with nature.

Medieval Books

The books by medieval scientists and natural philosophers symbolize the dangerous tendency for study of nature to foster a belief that one can control nature. When Georgiana reads these books, she sees that...