Nathaniel+Hawthorne

The Birthmark

Summary: Alymer and Georgina, a newly married couple, lived in the 1800’s. Ay keeps suggesting that G should remove the birthmark but G refuses and gets terribly upset. The birthmark is shaped like a hand that’s interwoven into her skin on her left cheek. It can be covered by two fingers and is hidden when she blushes. Other women think the birthmark is hideous because it’s her only flaw and they are jealous of her beauty. Finally after Ay kept pestering and trying to persuade her, she gives in and tells him that she’ll do it all costs just to make him happy. Once he took her to the laboratory she fainted. Aninadad was introduced as he walked out, looked at G, and spoke badly about her birthmark. She then woke up confused as to where she was. As she woke up she remembered that she was in Ay’s laboratory. When Ay came into the room and mentioned the birthmark G became very defensive. Ay then proceeded to explain the procedure and shows her the folio of previous experiments. She realizes that every time he does an experiment that is good a bad side effect was usually to credit for the success. She cries when she reads this. Ay then made the liquid that was to cure G’s birthmark and demonstrated how it worked on a sick and dying plant. He poured the liquid on the plant and the plant was cured. He then gave the liquid to G and she drank it. She fell asleep almost immediately after she drank it. She slept for a while and woke to the sound of Ay’s voice and the outline of the birthmark went away until it was completely gone. She then tells Ay that she is dying and then passes away.

Reflection: 1.)