Obsessions Always Have Meanings Essay - 1218 Words

In the stories â€Å"The Birthmark† by Nathaniel Hawthorne and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, they are similar because they both deal with the wives being obsessed with something. Also in both stories their husbands are concerned and want to help them with their obsessions. The wife in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is obsessed with the wallpaper on the wall and sees it as another world. She believes that there is someone stuck behind the wall and is trying to get out. Tearing down the wall paper, she is trying to set them free. Later on in the story she then believes that she is the one trapped behind the wall paper. Not understanding her obsession with the wallpaper, her husband sees her being creepy and he faints. When her†¦show more content†¦Aylmer is all about Science while she is all about romance. Barbara Eckstein states, â€Å"Romance is Georgina’s religion. It contributes to the metaphysical excesses of science as science contributes to the metaphysical excesses of romance† (511). He lives to create science experiments and do everything he can by using science. She on the other hand is all about making sure that he is satisfied and taken care of by using nothing but romance. Georgiana is like Aylmer’s maid, whatever he says she will do with no hesitation and no questions asked. â€Å"Combined, these two ideologies define the distribution of work in the story, the work of a man and a woman and of master and servant† (Eckstein 511). Her husband, Alymer, on the other hand sees it as a disgrace. He believes that the birthmark makes her unattractive and that upsets her. He believes it is a blemish that stains and taints her true beauty. Alymer ask her if she has ever thought to remove her birthmark and if he himself can remove it. Nathaniel Hawthorne writes in â€Å"The Birth-Mark†, â€Å"‘Dearest Georgiana, I have spent much thought upon the subject,’ has tily interrupted Aylmer. ‘I am convinced of the perfect practicability of its removal’† (343). Georgiana is all about her husband and agrees to go through with it if it satisfies him. Lynn Shakinovsky says, â€Å"Aylmer, a brilliant scientist, becomes obsessed with a mark on his wifes cheek, determines to eradicate it, and in doing so kills her† (269). AlymerShow MoreRelatedThe Short Stories Writers Known For Their Anti Transcendental Style Of Writing893 Words   |  4 Pagescharacter conceals his face behind a black cloth. The town becomes engulfed in trying to find the meaning behind the veil. In Poe’s short story, â€Å"The Oval Portrait† a man finds he is in love with a portrait of a girl after staying in an abandoned apartment. Obsession is having something that someone cannot get out of their mind. These two stories have a common theme. 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