Final answer:
The statement from the question is True. It reflects on the main theme in Hawthorne's story, where Aylmer's pursuit of perfection and scientific meddling leads to tragedy, showcasing his inability to appreciate life's imperfections and the present moment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement you provided is True. It reflects the core theme of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story where Aylmer, an accomplished scientist, is obsessed with perfection, especially when it comes to his beloved wife, Georgiana. He perceives her birthmark, which is a minor flaw, as a symbol of human imperfection.
His inability to appreciate the beauty of the present and his relentless pursuit of perfection leads him to concoct an elixir to remove the birthmark — an action that ultimately results in Georgiana's death. Aylmer's failure to realize that perfection is not achievable, and that happiness can be found in embracing imperfections, leads him to 'flung away the happiness' that he could have had.
Aylmer's quest for absolute perfection and control over nature echoes throughout the passage. His scientific endeavors such as the elixir vitae or the universal solvent signify his deep dive into moral and ethical ambiguities. This obsession is characterized as a 'gross fatality' that contradicts the immortal essence of human spirit. He is portrayed as a man torn between his love, his ambitions, and his inability to accept anything less than the ideal.
Georgiana's perception of her own mortality and her acknowledgment of her fit to die due to her moral stature establishes a solemn and introspective tone. This is juxtaposed with Aylmer's scientific rigor, as shown when he meticulously observes the symptoms of his wife as he tests the potion on her, foregrounding his tragic flaw: the overreliance on science and disregard for the natural human condition.