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What It Means to be Human
"But I'm only human" is a lyric from the popular song "Human" by Christina Perri, implying that humans are not perfect and they make mistakes. In the texts "The Birthmark" and "Eye of the beholder" two innocent women are accused of being monsters due to the ideas others have about their imperfections. The two ladies are both considered "deformed," and although they face different outcomes they share the burden of dealing with judgement.
What can we learn from the imperfect women?
Both women are considered monstrous because they do not look like everyone else and become ashamed of themselves; and are desperate to change and be like everyone else in society. However these women teach that imperfection is what keeps everyone human. In the text "The Birthmark" one the woman's birthmark is finally gone and she is seen as "perfect,"she dies.
The woman dies because her imperfection was what kept her human because no one is ever perfect. Thus, this story about the imperfect birthmark is a representation that to achieve flawlessness is impossible, and the unique imperfections in everyone are what keeps people human.
In the text, "Eye of the Beholder" one woman faces discrimination because she does not look like everyone else and is considered to be ugly. However, she is only considered to be ugly because she does not look like the authorities of society who claims they know what the differentiation between beautiful and hideous is. The story portray that perfection is imaginary and just made up by people who think they have the authority to decide what is perfect.
The Real Monsters
From the texts, "The Birthmark" and "Eye of the Beholder" the so called "monster" has someone who tries to help, yet enforces the title "monster" upon each woman. In each text, Aylmer the husband, and the doctor, declare each woman a monster but try to change who they are in an attempt to "help." But, the fact that Aylmer is not phased by his wife's death in "the Birthmark" slightly implies that her absence may be what he wanted after all since her imperfection was too much for him to bare.
Each opposer of the women has different results in trying to change their being, but share the fact that they are the real monster. The ones who declares others to be a monster, thus creating them, are the real monsters. The two women in each story were not monsters until someone came and convinced them that they were. It is natural for people to recognize differences however the few that declare a difference to be a monstrosity are the real evil.
Link to the song, "Human"- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X43XF8247E
"But I'm only human" is a lyric from the popular song "Human" by Christina Perri, implying that humans are not perfect and they make mistakes. In the texts "The Birthmark" and "Eye of the beholder" two innocent women are accused of being monsters due to the ideas others have about their imperfections. The two ladies are both considered "deformed," and although they face different outcomes they share the burden of dealing with judgement.
What can we learn from the imperfect women?
Both women are considered monstrous because they do not look like everyone else and become ashamed of themselves; and are desperate to change and be like everyone else in society. However these women teach that imperfection is what keeps everyone human. In the text "The Birthmark" one the woman's birthmark is finally gone and she is seen as "perfect,"she dies.
The woman dies because her imperfection was what kept her human because no one is ever perfect. Thus, this story about the imperfect birthmark is a representation that to achieve flawlessness is impossible, and the unique imperfections in everyone are what keeps people human.
In the text, "Eye of the Beholder" one woman faces discrimination because she does not look like everyone else and is considered to be ugly. However, she is only considered to be ugly because she does not look like the authorities of society who claims they know what the differentiation between beautiful and hideous is. The story portray that perfection is imaginary and just made up by people who think they have the authority to decide what is perfect.
The Real Monsters
From the texts, "The Birthmark" and "Eye of the Beholder" the so called "monster" has someone who tries to help, yet enforces the title "monster" upon each woman. In each text, Aylmer the husband, and the doctor, declare each woman a monster but try to change who they are in an attempt to "help." But, the fact that Aylmer is not phased by his wife's death in "the Birthmark" slightly implies that her absence may be what he wanted after all since her imperfection was too much for him to bare.
Each opposer of the women has different results in trying to change their being, but share the fact that they are the real monster. The ones who declares others to be a monster, thus creating them, are the real monsters. The two women in each story were not monsters until someone came and convinced them that they were. It is natural for people to recognize differences however the few that declare a difference to be a monstrosity are the real evil.
Link to the song, "Human"- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X43XF8247E