Nathaniel Hawthorn’s Rappaccini’s Daughter is a classic short story that has been studied and analyzed by literary scholars for years. The story follows the life of Beatrice Rappaccini, who is constantly surrounded by poisonous plants. Her father, a scientist named Rappaccini, has engineered these plants to be deadly, and Beatrice has become immune to their poison. Over time, the exposure to the poison has made her own body poisonous, and she can no longer touch anyone without harming them.
She falls in love with a young student named Giovanni Guasconti, who does not know about her condition. When he finds out, he fears for his life and tries to distance himself from her. However, Beatrice is not ready to give up on their relationship and takes drastic measures to try and become normal again. Nathaniel Hawthorn’s Rappaccini’s Daughter is a complex story that explores the themes of love, science, and morality.
In a literal sense, Nathaniel Hawthorn’s Rappaccini’s Daughter is the tale of a rivalry between two scientists that leads to the victimization of an innocent young woman. However, when the narrative is viewed symbolically, it becomes clear that Rappaccini’s Daughter is an allegorical reenactment of mankind’s original fall from innocence and purity in Eden. The garden established by Rappaccini serves as the backdrop for this allegory, while the story’s characters represent important figures from Genesis.
Rappaccini’s garden is symbolic of the Garden of Eden, while Rappaccini himself represents God. The garden is a beautiful and secluded place, which mirrors the idyllic setting of the Garden of Eden before the fall. Just as Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent in the Garden of Eden, so too is Beatrice tempted by Rappaccini’s poisonous plants. These plants represent the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, which ultimately leads to Beatrice’s downfall.
While Rappaccini symbolizes God, his daughter Beatrice represents Adam and Eve. She is a innocent and pure creature, who knows nothing of the world outside her father’s garden. Like Eve, she is tempted by the serpentine Rappaccini to taste the forbidden fruit. And, like Eve, she pays the price for her disobedience with her life.
The character of Giovanni Guasconti represents Adam in this allegory. He is a young man who, like Beatrice, is innocent and pure. He too is tempted by Rappaccini’s poisonous plants, and he also pays the price for his disobedience. However, unlike Beatrice, Giovanni is able to repent and seek forgiveness. As a result, he is spared from death and granted a second chance at life.
This allegorical interpretation of Nathaniel Hawthorn’s Rappaccini’s Daughter reveals the deep symbolism that lies within the story. By understanding the symbolism of the characters and setting, the reader is able to see the story in a new light and appreciate its true meaning.
The settings, characters, and literary devices of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ” Rappaccini’s Daughter ” are all rich in meaning. The tale takes place in mid-nineteenth century Padua, Italy, and revolves around two major locations: the mansion of a long-standing Paduan family, and Rappaccini’s beautiful garden. The house is referred to as tall and gloomy; the padua palace of a noble desolate and inhospitable. This description establishes a foreboding tone across the narrative.
Rappaccini’s garden is the home to many poisons and venomous plants, which Rappaccini has bred to be even more poisonous. This is significant because Rappaccini’s daughter, Beatrice, has been exposed to these toxins her entire life and as a result, has become poisonous herself.
The characters in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Rappaccini’s Daughter” are very symbolic. Dr. Rappaccini is a scientist who is so obsessed with his work that he has lost all sense of morality. He sees his daughter, Beatrice, as nothing more than a test subject for his experiments. Giovanni Guasconti is a young student who falls in love with Beatrice, even though he knows she is poisonous. Beatrice Rappaccini is a beautiful young woman who has been poisoned by her father’s experiments. She is in love with Giovanni, but she knows that if they were to ever touch, he would die.
The symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Rappaccini’s Daughter” is very important to the understanding of the story. The garden represents Dr. Rappaccini’s moral corruption, as it is full of poisonous plants that he has bred to be even more deadly. The character of Beatrice represents innocence and purity, as she has been poisoned by her father’s experiments but remains pure of heart. Giovanni represents human nature, as he is attracted to Beatrice even though he knows she is dangerous.
Hawthorne says, One of the forefathers of this family was represented by Dante as a partaker of the immortal torments in his Inferno. The allusion to The Divine Comedy is that it refers to the Inferno, which depicts souls in Hell. Baglioni talks with Giovanni in this mansion room and tries to influence him while striving to destroy Rappaccini. In certain respects, the dismal and gloomy manor serves as a metaphor for evil. The garden is the second major setting. Rappaccini’s garden is characterized by poetic language usage.
Rappaccini’s garden is full of poisonous and dangerous plants, which represents the nature of Rappaccini himself. All of Rappaccini’s plants are “giant growths” that have “strange flowers and foliage”. These descriptions create a sense of foreboding because it is clear that something is not right about this garden. Furthermore, the garden is described as being sealed off from the rest of the world, which further emphasizes Rappaccini’s isolation from society.
The third and final major setting in the story is Beatrice’s room. This room represents Beatrice’s innermost thoughts and feelings. Hawthorne writes, “It was a chamber with paneled walls, in the dark style of the sixteenth century”. The fact that her room is dark and paneled creates a sense of gloom and despair. Furthermore, Beatrice’s room is full of poisonous plants, which symbolize the poisonous nature of her love for Giovanni.
The final setting in the story is Rappaccini’s laboratory. This laboratory represents Rappaccini’s power and control over his daughter. It is full of dangerous chemicals and poisons, which symbolize the danger that Beatrice faces if she does not obey her father.
Hawthorne says, There was one shrub in particular that produced a profusion of purple blossoms each with the gleam and richness of a diamond seemed enough to illuminate the garden, even if there were no sunshine some crawled serpent-like along the ground or scaled high In this passage, the author depicts the life and beauty of the garden in an almost dream-like manner.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Rappaccini’s Daughter” is a short story about a man, Giovanni Guasconti, who falls in love with a Rappaccini’s daughter, Beatrice. Set in Italy during the Renaissance, this story takes on themes of science and morality. Nathaniel Hawthorn uses descriptive language to transport the reader into the story and help create an atmosphere of suspense.
Throughout the story, there are different references to the biblical Garden of Eden. The first reference is when Giovanni first sees Beatrice and notices the beautiful garden she is tending to. The second reference is when Giovanni goes to visit Rappaccini and he tells him about his work as a scientist and how he has created this poisonous garden.
The third reference is when Giovanni meets Beatrice again and she tells him about the poisonous flowers in the garden and how they have made her immortal. The fourth reference is at the end of the story when Giovanni gives Beatrice a bouquet of flowers and she dies after smelling them.