American Renaissance
Hawthorne and Melville’s Views of Science Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville were spectacular writers. Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 and died May 18, 1864. He was born in Salem, Massachusetts and attended Bowdoin College. He is credited for The Scarlet Letter (1950), The House of the Seven Gables (1851), and The Blithedale Romance (1852). Herman Melville was born on August 1, 1819 in New York City. He was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. His first two books gained much attention, but his book Moby Dick, did not (Marion). The society during that time was not mentally ready for a masterpiece like Moby Dick. He is also credited for Billy Budd, White Jacker, Typee, Omoo, Pierre, and The Confidence-Man. These two authors found a magnificent way to connect different people, which was through their writing. They produced books that have been handed down from generation to generation. These books or short stories have been read by many people of different social classes, ethnicities, occupations, and societies. Nathaniel Hawthorne produced many different short stories that had deep meanings to them like; The Gentle Boy, The Gray Champion, The May-Pole of Merry Mount, The Minister’s Black Veil, The Birthmark, The Artist of the Beautiful, The Haunted Mind, Wakefield, Ethan Brand, and The Man of Adamant. Herman Melville also produced a magnificent story with vivid details, which was entitled Moby Dick. Even though these authors produced excellent stories, they still incorporated their views on science and art. While looking up the terms science and art, I found numerous definitions. Science, in the broadest sense, refers to any system of knowledge which attempts to model objective reality. In a more restricted sense, science refers to a system of acquiring knowledge based on the scientific method, as well as to the organized body of knowledge gained through such research (Mendoza). The term “art” is used to describe a particular type of creative production generated by human beings, and the term usually implies some degree of aesthetic value. An artist makes a work of art for various purposes, such as creating an experience for others (Jahan). But, science no longer seeks to explain phenomena and arrive at any kind of reality; rather, it now seeks to classify phenomena according to preconceived models. This, however, is what we would call "art" according to our traditional categories (Mendoza). I think that this is the best definition, because both of the authors have their own ways of expressing their feelings toward these two terms. In my opinion, Nathaniel Hawthorne believed that science could be valuable, until it is abused and Herman Melville believed that science exist, but should be based on actual experience. In many of Hawthorne’s stories, he incorporated science. But, when he did incorporate science, his stories had a negative or deadly outcome. I do not think that Hawthorne actually had a major problem with science, but he wanted his readers to know that science is a human tool and therefore it is subject to human abuse. When Hawthorne’s character’s started to abuse the use of science, then that is when the negative or deadly outcomes appeared. I also think that Hawthorne wanted to warn his readers of the dangers of unrestrained scientific growth. Hawthorne argues through his characterizations and plot lines that any scientific advancement and experimentation must always keep firmly in mind the public good and follow established moral guidelines. Unrestrained experimentation is subject to disaster. There should be a set limit on experimentations. When scientist infringe on another person’s health in a deadly manner, then disaster occurs. There are some scientists, who avoid the moral guidelines and create enormous problems. The Birthmark was a magnificent story. I really enjoyed this story and I actually learned that trying to become perfect could lead to a deadly outcome. This short story was about a man named Aylmer, who is a great-famous and well respected scientist. He is known to love nature. Aylmer, the natural philosopher, believes that he holds the secret of immortality in his grasp. He has a beautiful wife, Georgiana, who he loves dearly. Georgiana is stunning, perfect in every way, but, Georgiana has a birthmark on her cheek. It is a tiny red mark that really isn’t that noticeable. Aylmer is as obsessive about his wife as he is about science. Aylmer does not like this birthmark and really thinks that it makes her imperfect. But, Georgiana does not have a problem with this birthmark on her face. Aylmer was really the only person that actually saw something wrong with the birthmark. After Aylmer criticizes this birthmark numerous times, she decides that she does not like it anymore and is willing to change to satisfy her husband. He states to her that “you came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature that this slightest possible defect, which we hesitate whether to term a defect or a beauty, shocks me, as being the visible mark of earthly perfection.” Georgiana decides that she will let her husband remove the birthmark; she was willing to do anything to make him happy. Aylmer and his assistant, Aminadab, decided to perform this experiment. He determines to remove the mark through experimental means, and consequently doses Georgiana with more and more powerful chemicals. She does not feel anything at first, but then, eventually starts to feel strange. However, he eventually becomes so intent upon removing the mark that he forgets about Georgiana's health. The birthmark starts to disappear, but she dies. This is one example that Hawthorne uses to prove that science can be inaccurate and wrong. But, science can actually create a solution, as well as another problem. Sometimes, people look at the smallest flaws and try to fix them, but create a bigger problem. Georgiana was a beautiful woman, but she had one small flaw, which was a birthmark. Aylmer was so in love with science, until he ignored nature. He tried to out smart nature by using science, but failed in the process. Aylmer avoided his moral guidelines, which created a negative outcome (McIntosh). In Rappaccini’s Daughter, there was science throughout the whole story. This whole story was about an experiment. This story was about a man named Giovanni, who was in love with Beatrice, who was Rappaccini’s daughter. He was a young medical student, who rented a room next to the garden of the notorious Rappaccini, who was a well known scientist. He always noticed Beatrice in the garden below his window. Dr. Rappaccini specializes in poisonous plants, and his garden is a dangerous place indeed. Beatrice was raised as one of her father’s experiments. So, she was not a normal child. She was a walking, talking poisonous flower, created by her own father. She was the only person who could walk freely through the poisonous garden. Beatrice has become immune to the toxins through long exposure. But, Giovanni did not know this secret about her, and pursued her anyway. Two abnormalities that Giovanni noticed about her is the smell of her breath and that she was able to be next to her father’s poisonous plants. One day, Beatrice touched Giovanni’s hand and it turned purple in the shape of Beatrice’s handprint. Giovanni ran into Professor Baglioni and the professor knew of the Rappaccini secret and let Giovanni in on its truths. Baglioni gave Beatrice a vial of antidote guaranteed to counteract the poisons. Giovanni failed to realize that those poisons were Beatrice’s lifeblood, and she cannot survive without them. She really was a poison. So, as a result, she died from this potion that was given to her. This is another story by Hawthorne that proves how science can be used in an obstruct way. Both scientist wanted to experiment and did not consider Beatrice’ health. They both forgot their moral guide lines that resulted in a serious death. On the other hand, Melville was the totally opposite. I think that in so many ways, he considered himself a scientist. Hawthorne and Melville studied two different types of sciences, but they both dealt with nature. Melville was a strong believer in Cetology. Cetology is the science of whales. Melville believed that only the experienced whalesmen should be able write about whales. This is one reason why I think that Melville considers his self a scientist. I think that he thought that the experienced could explain in greater details and create more concrete images. This whole book was based on experience at sea. There were many instances in his book, Moby Dick, where he explained different characteristics, actions, and types of whales, which is what a scientist is known to do. In chapter 32, Melville explains, in detail, what Cetology is. He stated some known whale authors (Pliny, Sir Thomas Browne, Gesner, Green, Sibbald, Brisson, Desmarest, and John Hunter) and then discredited them. Melville states that the reason why they should not receive credit for their works is because they did not actually “see living whales.” () So, he decides to author his own whale book. He gives his own definition of a whale and then divides the whales into three primary books (Folio, Octavo, and Duodecimo Whale). He states that “the whale is a spouting fish with a horizontal tail.” In chapters 74 and 75, he explains the difference between two different whales. This is also a chapter that helps explain Cetology even more. He states that the eye and ear are the most important organs. He states that a Sperm Whale’s “can never see an object which is exactly ahead, no more than he can one exactly astern. The position of the whale’s eye corresponds to that of a man’s ears; and you may fancy, for yourself, how it would fare with you, sis you sideways survey objects through your ears.” He also states that “in the Right Whale there is no great well of sperm; no ivory teeth at all; no long, slender mandible of a lower jaw, like the Sperm Whale’s; Nor in the Sperm Whale are there any of those blinds of bone; no huge lower lip; and scarcely anything of a tongue. Again, the Right Whale has two external spout-holes, the Sperm Whale only one.” (Parker) Even though they viewed science in two different ways, I thought that Melville was included excellent insertions about art. Melville discussed the art of many pictures in his book, Moby Dick. In chapter 3, he mentions a picture that was at The Spouter-Inn. He spends some time trying to figure out exactly what the picture meant. He states “but what most puzzled and confounded you was a long, limber, portentous, black mass of something hovering in the center of the picture over three blue, dim, perpendicular lines floating in nameless yeast. A boggy, soggy, squitchy picture truly, enough to drive a nervous man distracted. Yet was there a sort of indefinite, half-attained, unimaginable sublimity about it that fairly froze you to it, till you involuntarily took an oath with yourself to find out what that marvelous painting meant.” This passage shows how fascinating art can be. I think that Melville thought that art is appealing to the eye and it has a deeper meaning than what the eye can actually see. Overall, Hawthorne and Melville were excellent writers. They both believed in science, but found many flaws. Hawthorne thought that people were abusing the use of science. They were not using their moral guidelines. Melville believed that science existed, but it should only be written by the experienced. He will give credit to whalesmen who have actually been to sea and encountered different types of whales.

Works Citied
Jahan, Shah. “What is Art.” 01 November 2007. 25 November 2007.
Marion, Crawford. “Nathaniel Hawthorne.” 5 June 2003. 24 November 2007.
McIntosh, James. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Tales. New York: Norton & Company, 2002.
Mendoza, Martha. “Science.” 10 October 2007. 24 November 2007.
Parker, Hershel. Moby-Dick Herman Melville. Norton & Company, 2002.