★★★★★★★★☆☆
All of Hawthorne's and Poe's short stories but one have death as one of the main motifs. The exception is Hawthorne's The Artist of the Beautiful. While the other stories talk about transience this one celebrates eternity.
At first it seems like Owen Warland, the main character of the story, is just another character driven by ambition to outdone nature, but his goal is different. While Aylmer in The Birthmark or Rappaccini in Rappaccini's Daughter try to intervene in nature, Owen admires it, as can be seen from his walks through woods and fields, and tries to reproduce it through art. The appearance of art further distinguishes the story as the others are focused on science. There is a fundamental difference between the two. While the essence of science is change, art symbolizes permanence. It's no wonder then that Owen is unhappy with his job, the watches that surround him represent the passage of time while he is trying to capture it in a work of art.
That Owen's work turns out to be a butterfly isn't accidental. Ancient Greek word for butterfly is "psyche" which also means "soul" and the animal serves as an illustration of it's immortality. That the butterfly represents Owen's soul is obvious from his own words, but there's more to it. Through that metaphor Hawthorne tells us how an artist leaves a peace of soul in each of his works thus making both his art and himself immortal. The adult butterfly represents the highest and most beautiful stage in its life cycle, so in the story it also serves to show art as highest and most beautiful human achievement.
Hawthorne teaches us that the right way to beauty and immortality is through artistic creation, not defying nature but embracing it as an inspiration. It's the only road to a happy ending.
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