Essay on Birthmark: Marriage and Perfection

Submitted By allysha10
Words: 936
Pages: 4
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Perfection may be dreamed of, hoped for, and sought after. It can be imagined, imitated, pretended, poorly masqueraded, and foolishly impersonated. In the story “The Birthmark”, there is a man who has an obsession with perfection. Aylmer, a scientist, marries a beautiful woman whose name is Georgiana. Not long after getting married, Aylmer notices something he doesn’t like about Georgiana; her birthmark. Georgiana’s birthmark is in the shape of a tiny handprint which lies on her cheek. Day after day the birthmark really begins to bother her husband. Aylmer sees Georgiana’s birthmark as an imperfection that he needs to fix. Although Georgiana appreciates her birthmark, Aylmer’s need for perfection forces her to make a fatal decision.
Georgiana, a beautiful woman is brought into this world with something people like to call a birthmark, which is now known as a beauty mark. The birthmark is placed on her cheek and takes the shape of a human hand, which led most people to believe “some fairy at her birth-hour had laid her tiny hand upon the infant’s cheek and left this impress there in token of the magic endowments that were to give her such sway over all hearts.” It represented a mark encouraging human beings to be different and individual. It was something Georgiana was born with that set her apart from the others; it is something that made Georgiana unique from all the other woman. A birthmark is something special; it’s something that is different every time a new one is placed. No birthmark is the same which makes it unique, sacred and special. The birthmark has never really become a bother to Georgiana in fact she actually appreciates it; partially because she doesn’t really notice it, until, her husband Aylmer’s obsession with perfection arises.
Aylmer, Georgiana’s husband will not even look at her. When he walked past her he gives a disgusted look. Which is completely unacceptable, they are married, when two people decide to make that commitment to each other they are a couple and couples are not supposed to despise one another! Couples are supposed to love one another for who the other person is! Georgiana knows that her birthmark disgusts him and having grown up with it not bothering her she begins to hate herself and her unique birthmark. Aylmer’s obsession with having the perfect wife overwhelms him as he finally asks if Georgiana has ever considered getting it removed. Obviously caught off guard proving that she had never been bothered by the mark on her face. Aylmer is a pushy husband he basically tricks his wife Georgiana by striking her in he most venerable place. As far back as time will go woman have always dreamed about being married and taking the role of being a loving wife, because Aylmer is giving her sly, disgusted glances making her feel that if she doesn’t go through with the removal of her birthmark that he might leave her. As she stated, “These are the seasons which should be our happiest.” The fear of not fulfilling her duties as a wife to keep her husband happy got the best of her. No man should ever have that much power over a woman! Women are independent human beings who are more than capable of taking care of themselves. Women do not need a man to tear them down to the point of making harmful decisions. Woman’s day states “Don’t change yourself to suit the relationship, change the relationship to suit you.” At one point or another in life everyone feels as if they are not good enough, but a person should not be getting those feelings when they find the person who is supposed to love them unconditionally and look past
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