32 pages • 1 hour read
Nathaniel HawthorneThe Birthmark
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1843A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Short Answer Questions
Answer each of the following questions with a response of one to several sentences. Use details from both texts to support your responses.
1. When does Aylmer first comment critically on Georgiana’s birthmark? When does the girlchild in “Barbie Doll” begin to receive criticism for her looks? What association(s) might the reader infer from the timing of the critical comments?
2. What happens in the dream Aylmer has about Georgiana’s birthmark? What similar imagery appears in “Barbie Doll”?
3. How does Aylmer feel about the material world generally, and the human body in particular? What words does Piercy use to emphasize the unnamed woman’s physicality in “Barbie Doll”?
4. How does each work end? What is the tone of the conclusion of each work?
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