The Birthmark Analysis
The Birthmark and The Eye of the Beholder
The feminine beauty ideal is "the socially constructed notion that physical attractiveness is one of women's most important assets, and something all women should strive to achieve and maintain".
Is there true beauty or is it all just a cultural construct? “The Birthmark” and “The Eye of the Beholder” both provide treatments of beauty and perfection by showcasing a woman’s struggles to reach societies standards. Although the core meaning of the texts are in relation, the writers of each text use different literary devices to shape the way that the message and the perception of idealized beauty is portrayed to the audience. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism, imagery, and allusions while writer …show more content…
2. allegory) allegory was again used to give a deeper meaning to the way everyone appeared ex. “I never wanted to be beautiful I just wanted people to not scream when they see me” connection- Beauty is what humans strive for because they seek acceptance from others. 3. metaphors- made comparisons between the main character and all the other women. ex- when the doctors were not satisfied after procedures because her appearance didn’t match the other women. connection- If a woman doesn’t look like everyone else they are not considered beautiful. Conclusion
Although “The Birthmark” and “The Eye of the Beholder” both feature women struggling to surpass beauty standards, the difference is the literary techniques used by the creators. Rod Serling takes the viewer to an alternate reality using situational irony to prove that beauty is in fact a cultural construct. On the other hand, Hawthorne takes a more “realistic” approach by taking a relationship and exposing the husband’s animosity behind his wife’s one imperfection, explained through imagery, allusions, and
The feminine beauty ideal is "the socially constructed notion that physical attractiveness is one of women's most important assets, and something all women should strive to achieve and maintain".
Is there true beauty or is it all just a cultural construct? “The Birthmark” and “The Eye of the Beholder” both provide treatments of beauty and perfection by showcasing a woman’s struggles to reach societies standards. Although the core meaning of the texts are in relation, the writers of each text use different literary devices to shape the way that the message and the perception of idealized beauty is portrayed to the audience. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism, imagery, and allusions while writer …show more content…
2. allegory) allegory was again used to give a deeper meaning to the way everyone appeared ex. “I never wanted to be beautiful I just wanted people to not scream when they see me” connection- Beauty is what humans strive for because they seek acceptance from others. 3. metaphors- made comparisons between the main character and all the other women. ex- when the doctors were not satisfied after procedures because her appearance didn’t match the other women. connection- If a woman doesn’t look like everyone else they are not considered beautiful. Conclusion
Although “The Birthmark” and “The Eye of the Beholder” both feature women struggling to surpass beauty standards, the difference is the literary techniques used by the creators. Rod Serling takes the viewer to an alternate reality using situational irony to prove that beauty is in fact a cultural construct. On the other hand, Hawthorne takes a more “realistic” approach by taking a relationship and exposing the husband’s animosity behind his wife’s one imperfection, explained through imagery, allusions, and