Different people have different views of happiness. Earning and experiencing happiness vary from people to people. Both short stories “Hills Like White Elephants” and “The Birth-mark” demonstrate particular person’s beliefs about happiness. These stories represent happiness by its characters Aylmer and the man. Aylmer from “The Birth-mark” and the man from “Hills Like White Elephants” depict anxiousness and wishes to obtain happiness in their own format.
Both of the characters show their passionate desire to be happy. Aylmer founds his happiness by removing his wife’s birth-mark from her cheek. Even though, he admires Georgiana’s beauty; he monopolizes about the birth-mark. He does not learn to appreciate the fact that his wife idolized this mark as her charm. Similarly, the man persuades his girlfriend to have abortion in order to get his own happiness. His carelessness about Jig’s opinion and hardship of convincing her to do abortion notify his determination of happiness. Next, these characters symbolize man dominant society. Aylmer was succeeded to convert Georgiana to get rid of her charm. As if it is dangerous, but she does not care.In similar, the man induced Jig to abort her tiny white elephant. Additionally, she is not conscious about the situation afterwards. Here, these circumstances draw pictures of victim women who are willing to do anything for their significant others without expressing their anticipation.
However, both of these persons are seeking for happiness; their purposes of being happy are contrasting. Aylmer thinks happiness is perfection. He put his best effort to make his wife perfect by removing her birth-mark in terms of achieving happiness. But, because of his impatience and thought of perfection he loses his wife. It does not grab his attention that being perfect could be the cause to become unhappy also. Aylmer confirmed that judging the loved ones and attempting to convert them as perfectionists can harm individual’s own life. On the other hand, the man wins happiness through his pleasure. He evokes his youngness by rejecting his beautiful future child. Furthermore, he believes that he can enlighten his life through exploring and enjoying. In fact, he considers himself having a bright future; if Jig agrees to have abortion. At this point, the unborn baby is a barrier to get his own pleasure.
In conclusion, illustration of these two characters specifies that people carry out different opinions about happiness. Whether it is about being perfect or getting pleasure, everyone has their own means to become happy.
