JOURNAL 7

Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne shows how beauty is defined differently for every individual. Georgiana and others think positively of her birthmark and how it even seem “charming” to others. However, to Georgiana’s husband, the birthmark was a constant reminder of how she was imperfect. Clearly her husband had a different idea of beauty and perfection compared to the other people. It was unfortunate that he did not find his wife beautiful just because of the birthmark she carried. It was wrong of him to pressure her into removing the birthmark because it was a part of who she is. I think her birthmark makes her who she is and it has been a part of her since she was born. For her husband to not accept her, it makes him seem shallow. I feel like if he really loved her, he should be able to accept whatever flaws that she may possess.

I do not agree with the fact that Georgiana allowed her husband to easily persuade her that his version of beauty was superior to her definition of beauty. If she felt that the birthmark was not a problem then her husband should have accepted that instead of trying to change her. I understand that she was being a good wife and considering her lover’s view but since he wanted her to remove the birthmark, it seems as he did not actually love her for herself. People should be confident and believe in their own definitions of beauty and not allow others to easily pressure them to change their views.