Birthmark In A. S. Byatt's The Thing In The Forest

In A. S. Byatt's story, The Thing in the Forest caused Penny and Primrose to take on death in an unfamiliar way. Although the two of them seem to have perceived the thing in the forest as an unescaping dream, somehow the harsh reality of wars and death could not escape their minds (Byatt, 303, 308). Perhaps, that's why the Thing became a figment of their imagination. This was prevalent as they became adults, still holding on to the belief of what they had imagined in the forest that day (Byatt, 311). Obviously, the fear of losing a loved one and being left alone at an orphanage became frightening and painful for the two girls, causing them to become delusional (Byatt, 304). For instance, as the Thing made its presence, the expression of it …show more content…
In Hawthorne's story of the Birth-Mark, Georgiana's beauty came under scrutiny once her husband Aylmer wanted to remove what he called, a fatal birthmark from her face (Hawthorne, 293). So, could this one birthmark really symbolize death? In Aylmer's eyes, it did. But no matter how beautiful Georgina might have been, Aylmer could not see pass this one outer flaw (Hawthorne, 292). While some saw the birthmark as one of God's gifts to man, others saw it as a hideous sight that destroyed Georgiana's beauty (Hawthorne, 291). In the end, Georgiana's love for her husband paid a deadly price, as she sacrificed her life to be rid of the …show more content…
But most importantly, it can be deadly at all cost. Therefore, one should pay close attention to Georgiana's example and be happy with ourselves, searching for that inner beauty and not trying to sacrifice our lives for perfection, in a world that is imperfect. The lesson in Byatt's story is simply this, life is not promised to anyone. Whether it is a war, disease or a crime, death will always remain as something painful, and even sometimes horrible, just like the Thing in the Forest, that can take us all by surprise in the blink of an