When given the opportunity to dominate humans, man thirsts for eternal power. The Argentine writer Julio Cortazar states that “the history of humanity is the sad result of each person caring for himself” (Blair). A simple desire can easily turn into a dangerous obsession due to the selfish human tendency to never be fully satisfied. For example, the massacre of the Jews under Adolf Hitler, considered one of the most apocalyptic chapters in history, resulted from Hitler's need to exercise sovereignty over others. Man is inclined to use all possible means at his disposal to obtain personal gain, without considering the negative consequences for others. The consequences of this situation are highlighted by the romantic author Nathaniel Hawthorne in his short stories "Rappaccini's Daughter" and "The Birthmark". The antagonists, Giovanni and Aylmer, demonstrate their manipulation of their authority over women in order to continue their perpetual infatuation with scientific experimentation. The ability to exercise their ambitions for self-aggrandizement while simultaneously controlling human life threatens the Romantic ideals of individualism, idealism, and love of nature in its purest form. Illustrating the inherent thrill of exercising dominance over another, both stories portray Aylmer and Rappaccini as deities. . The females, Beatrice and Georgiana, become the subjects of Rappaccini and Aylmer's curiosity, allowing them to be transformed through the exploitation of science into servile counterparts. In Hawthorne's time, a patriarchal society was deeply valued. This allowed the control of women on economic, psychological and social levels, of which Beatrice is a replica. Rappaccini tells him to perform an otherwise dangerous task for...... middle of paper ...... an individual contributing to society. Similarly, the narrator of “The Birthmark” reveals that “we do not know whether Aylmer possessed this degree of faith in man's ultimate control over Nature” (“The Birthmark” 631). Although he remains omniscient throughout the story, the narrator admits that he has limited knowledge of Aylmer's thoughts, which is an example of Hawthorne alluding to the limits of the power and intellect of the man. While it is essential for man to discover the hidden perplexities of the world, there is a limit. Once humans exceed this limit, chaos arises due to the corruption of the earth's balance. Hawthorne believes that the relationship between pleasure and power is inherently evil because man cannot perceive himself as being greater than one another or greater than nature; every man is equal and one with nature. Empowerment will only breed malevolence.