Response Paper #2: “The Birthmark” 1. Our society tends to be obsessed with the idea of physical perfection. How does our society manifest that obsession? How is the “Birthmark” an early version of our modern obsession with physical perfection? Our society has many ways of manifesting its obsession with physical perfection. In our society people go to extreme lengths to achieve perfection. The “Birthmark”, written more than a century ago, is an early version of our modern …showed first 75 words of 388 total…

…showed last 75 words of 388 total…remote possibility of it . . . let the attempt be made at any risk.” This is the point at which Georgina shows what she is willing to give up to be beautiful, her life! Unfortunately Georgiana dies because of attempting to remove the birthmark. The story “The Birthmark” is a perfect example of an early version of our modern obsession with physical perfection. Georgiana and Alymar manifested their obsession with physical perfection much like we would today.