The Birthmark
I thought this short story was very interesting to read especially the male dominance that is not really talked about much. It is slight actions that I think make the wife Georgina die.
In the beginning of the short story Aylmer describes to Georgina his wife that the birthmark on the side of her face is removable and he wants to do surgery on it. Georgina is furious, sad, and upset all at the same time. She responds to his comment by saying, “ shocks you my husband! Then why did you take me from mother’s side? You cannot love what shocks you”(85) She is completely against the action of surgery and hates even thinking about it. But as the story continues Aylmer’s hate for the birthmark overturns Georgina’s furious rage and she decides to get surgery. This was very upsetting for me to read because I thought that Georgina had a right to be angry with her husband who called something on her face an imperfection. But she lets her husband get the best of her.
Georgina gives into her husbands temptation and tells him “ If there be the remotest possibility of it let the attempt be made at whatever risk. Danger is nothing to me ; for life, while this hateful mark makes me the object of your horror or disgust ,-life is a burden which I would fling down with joy. Either remove this dreadful hand, or take my wretched life!”(88). I believe this to be the mot powerful quote in the whole story. It is Georgina giving into Aylmer’s demand at any risk just so he doesn’t have to look at the mark on her face, which most people think is beautiful. She is willing to give up her life for her husband at the cost of a beauty mark, which is ridiculous. Georgina basically gives her life away at the cost of her husbands ignorant happiness.
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I definitely agree with your point of male dominance. I think it plays such a great part in this short story, as it shows how much control Alymer had over his wife because of his selfish needs. These days we value some imperfections as beautiful but Alymer makes it clear that he only seeks perfection which causes hurt in the end. The birthmark makes Georgiana seem human, and he just wants to take that away from her. Alymer was an ignorant and greedy man especially when he laughs at the very end when his wife is dying because all he was focused on was her birthmark and that he finally perfected her, even though she is now gone. Alymer is always focused on the present, never the future.
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