The short story “The Birthmark” takes place in the 18th century, a rather difficult time for women's lives. In a journal published by Helga Madland, it was mentioned: "Since the Greco-Roman period, women were seen as inferior to men in the social hierarchy;..." (p. 167). The low status of women in society was a major problem in the 18th century, as evidenced in the story "The Birthmark" written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this story, power unequally distributed between men and women ultimately results in tragedy for the women. Hawthorne's "The Birth-Mark" clearly proves that male power still dominates. Hawthorne began the story by introducing the protagonist Alymer as a “man of science” (290). His remarkable creations in the laboratory allowed him to build a reputation as a brilliant scientist. He was able to do many things with his scientific knowledge, such as making poisons, bottling magical perfumes, and removing physical defects from women's faces. His outstanding achievements in science shaped his position of authority in science as a man. His true existence is limited to the science laboratory since most of the story takes place in the laboratory room. People began to make strong connections between Alymer and the power of science because of his accomplishments in the scientific community. Little by little, Alymer, representative of other men, became a symbol of science. As a man, he shows a strong desire to control women through the title "scientist". His ability to change the physical appearance of women is what brings him gratification and confidence. The man still occupies the supreme position and has the ability to decide the fate of a woman by changing the middle of a paper... and "there was no need for proof" (300) because she totally trusts her husband and is ready to give her life to love her husband. 18th century women choose to obey everything their husband says, they willingly bow to their man's power out of love. Works Cited Achilles, Jochen. “Purgers and Mounted Men: Masculinity in the Short Stories of Hawthorne and Poe.” Amerikastudien / American Studies 43.4, Engendering Manhood (1998): 577-92. JSTOR. Internet. May 15, 2014. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The birthmark. Logan, Ia. : Perfection Form, 1972. Print. Madland, Helga. “Three women's diaries from the late 18th century: their role in shaping women's lives.” Women in the German Directory 4 (1988): 167+.JSTOR. Internet. May 15, 2014. Zanger, Jules. "Speaking of the Unspeakable: Hawthorne's 'Birthmark'" Modern Philology 80.4 (1983): 364-71. JSTOR. Internet. May 15 2014.