Summary

“Birthmark” follows a female protagonist. She has a ‘port wine stain’ birthmark on her face. She knows that people often describe her as being very beautiful, with the exception of the birthmark. One day, she saves up enough money to have the birthmark surgically removed by a doctor using a special type of medical laser. The procedure is painful, as well as fairly expensive, but the protagonist is very happy to be rid of the birthmark. However, she soon notices that people have begun to treat her differently. She realizes that, while the birthmark had been potentially unsightly, it had actually made her more interesting in the eyes of other people.

She eventually falls in love with a man and marries him. She sometimes wonders if he would have married her if she had still had the...