Letter to the reader

Student Name Professor Course Date The Harmful Pursuit of Perfection: Conflicts in The Birthmark and “The Yellow Wallpaper” The problem of perfectionism has always been associated with destructive consequences. Hawthorne’s The Birthmark and Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper depict how destructive outcomes can be pursued due to societal pressure and personal expectations. Given the historical context of 19th-century scientific discovery and the culture of male dominance, these plots demonstrate the horrific outcomes of trying to make others perfect. The Birthmark is a narrative about a scientist named Aylmer who intends to rid his spouse, Georgiana, of the “birthmark” on her cheek since he considers this mark an imperfection to her otherwise flawless beauty. This obsession results in a tragic outcome. Likewise, The Yellow Wallpaper narrates the story of the gradual degeneration of a lady who was kept locked in a room by her husband for her own good because he believed she had a mental disorder. Both stories depict the disastrous outcomes of the protagonists’ obsession with perfection, exploring three key similarities: the conflicts created by their obsessions, the settings that amplify these conflicts, and the narrative points of view that reveal their mental turmoil. In The Birthmark and The Yellow Wallpaper, the protagonists’ obsessions create either tragically resolved or unresolved conflicts. In The Birthmark, Aylmer becomes obsessed with removing a small birthmark from his wife’s face, viewing it as a flaw in her otherwise perfect beauty. Aylmer tells Georgiana, “Dearest Georgiana, I have spent much thought on the subject; I am sure it can be removed.” (Hawthorne 2). This obsession leads to Georgiana’s death, tragically resolving the conflict. Similarly, in The Yellow Wallpaper, the speaker’s spouse, John, confines her to a room to cure her “temporary nervous depression,” aiming to restore her to a perfect state of health through strict control and isolation. John asserts, “You know the place is doing you good, and, dear, I don’t care to renovate the house just for a three three-month rental” (Gilman 649). This confinement results in her mental breakdown, symbolized by her belief that she has become the woman trapped behind the wallpaper, leaving the conflict unresolved. Both stories illustrate how the relentless pursuit of perfection results in destructive outcomes, whether through tragic resolution or ongoing turmoil. The setting in each story plays a vital part in amplifying the central conflict and reflecting the protagonists’ internal struggles. The Birthmark is set in Aylmer’s laboratory, a place of scientific experimentation where he makes futile attempts to perfect his wife. The narrator notes, “The first thing that struck Georgiana when entering the laboratory was the hot furnace... She saw machines, tubes, cylinders and other containers for chemical experiments” (Hawthorne 3). The aseptic and confined nature of the laboratory represents Aylmer’s drive to conquer nature. Conversely, The Yellow Wallpaper is set in a colonial mansion in which the main character is imprisoned in a room, with the horrifying yellow wallpaper representing her psych...