Gender Roles In The Birthmark

“The Birth-Mark” is a short story that was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, which was published in march of 1843. This story is about a scientist, Aylmer, who is obsessed with physical perfection. It is important to mention that he is a scientist, since they are known for wanting things to be golden. Aylmer is married to a beautiful and caring woman, Georgina. According to to her husband the only “flaw” she has is the small red birthmark on her cheek that is shaped like a tiny hand. He points this birthmark as an “defect” instead of a beauty mark. He describes Georgina is “nearly” perfect, but is not due to the birthmark. Her husband practically insists that she gets plastic surgery to make her perfect. The topic that will be discussed in this

Throughout the years society has always seen several differences between female and male. Women are seen as objects, while men are seen as the dominant one. Gender bias usually affects female gender, which in this case, is Georgina. In “The Birthmark” the time setting is in the late 1700’s, which was a time that women were seen as objects. Women were determined around the time philosopher and scientist, all males, were controlling society. In this story Aylmer is pointing out that Georgina has a birthmark on her cheek, which Aylmer sees it as a “imperfection.” He tries to fix it be having it surgically remove her mark, in order to make her

The reason it is ironic is because there is a gaze theory. in the short story, Aylmer is “gazing at his wife with a trouble in his countenance that grew stronger until he spoke.” He then says, “has it never occurred to you that that mark upon your cheek might be removed?” (Hawthorne). He is gazing at his beautiful wife, but notices there is a mark, and questions if she had ever thought of removing it, remove something that is apart of her. The gaze theory is when a male gaze in the act of depicting the world and women in the visual arts of literature from a masculine and heterosexual point of view, presenting women as objects of pleasure. Men are looking at the women’s beauty which, is being controlled by male. Males are taking away the true meaning of beauty, and are controlling to what they find beautiful and not. They are making changes in society, which affects women. Society is being taught that we must be a certain way to fit the category of “beauty.”
In the short story, Aylmer calls her birthmark a “defect.” “... You came so nearly perfect from the hand of Nature that this slightest possible defect… shocks me, as being the visible mark of earthly imperfection.” (Hawthorne). Aylmer describes the birthmark as something that is anything but beautiful, wich means Georgina is anything but beautiful too. This mark makes Aylmer feel as if his wife is a “defect,” instead of perfect. This is one main example of gender bias. Georgiana