Analytical Essay: Rappaccini’s Daughter In the literal sense, Nathaniel Hawthorn’s Rappaccini’s Daughter is the story about the rivalry between two scientists that ultimately causes the destruction of an innocent young woman. However, when the story is examined on a symbolic level, the reader sees that Rappaccini’s Daughter is an allegorical reenactment of the original fall from innocence and purity in the Garden of Eden. Rappaccini’s garden sets the stage of this allegory, while the characters of the story each represent the important figures from the Genesis account. Through the literary devices of poetic and descriptive diction, Nathaniel Hawthorne conveys the symbolism of these characters, as well as the setting. The story takes place in mid-nineteenth century in Padua, Italy and revolves around two major settings; the mansion of an old Paduan family, and Rappaccini’s lush garden. The mansion is described as, “high and gloomy?the palace of a Paduan noble? desolate and ill-furnished?” This description establishes a dark mood throughout the story. Hawthorne writes, “One of the ancestors of this family?had been pictured by Dante as a partaker of the immortal agonies of his Inferno?” The allusion of Dante refers to The Divine Comedy and the Inferno describes the souls in Hell.
Furthermore, Baglioni converses with Giovanni in this mansion chamber and tries to manipulate him in his attempt to destroy Rappaccini. In a sense, the dark and gloomy mansion symbolizes the domain of evil. The second major setting is the garden. The author uses poetic diction to describe Rappaccini’s garden. Hawthorne writes, “There was one shrub in particular?that bore a profusion of purple blossoms, each of which had the luster and richness of a gem?seemed enough to illuminate the garden, even had there been no sunshine?some crept serpentlike along the ground or climbed on high?” In this passage, the author depicts the liveliness and beauty of the garden in an almost fantasy-like way, a fantasy too good to be true and destined to end tragically. Hawthorne directly compares this beautiful garden to Eden when he writes, “Was this garden, then the Eden of the present world?” Thus, Rappaccini’s garden symbolizes the setting of the initial fall of man. In Rappaccini’s Daughter, the original sinners, Adam and Eve, are represented by Giovanni Guasconti and Beatrice Rappaccini. Giovanni symbolizes Adam in the sense that he is shallow and insincere.
The Essay on Main Character Hawthorne Daughter One
The Hollow of the Three Hills is a story of dishonor, deceit, and death. The author, Nathaniel Hawthorn portrays the main character as a beautiful woman with a shameful and abominable past. She tries to run from her problems but comes to find out no matter how big or small a problem, trying to run from it will only make the problem follow. The main character was so driven by curiosity and remorse ...
When Giovanni first sees Beatrice, he is love struck. Hawthorne uses poetic diction when he writes, “?the impression which the fair stranger made upon him was as if here were another flower?as beautiful as they, more beautiful than the richest of them.” This passage describes Giovanni’s feelings towards the beautiful Beatrice. However, later we see that Giovanni’s love was actually lust when the student discovers that he has been infected by Beatrice. The author writes, “Giovanni’s rage broke forth from his sullen gloom like a lightning flash out of a dark cloud. ‘Accursed one!’ cried he, with venomous scorn and anger” Giovanni becomes enraged and blames Beatrice of this accidental infection. Similarly, Adam blames Eve of their disobedience when he is confronted by God. Adam does not show compassion towards his wife but instead, like Giovanni, lashes out with anger against Eve. Hawthorne’s critical and unsympathetic tones toward Giovanni are evident when he uses descriptive diction to explain him. Hawthorne writes, “?his spirit was incapable of sustaining itself at the height to which the early enthusiasm of passion had exalted it; he fell down groveling among earthly doubts, and defiled there with the pure whiteness of Beatrice’s image.” In this passage, Hawthorne shows that Giovanni’s love was actually lust and his tone toward Giovanni is critical.
The Essay on The Dark And Twisted "Rappaccini's Daughter" By Nathaniel Hawthorne
Flowers are thought to be beautiful and breathtaking, but Rappaccini’s garden is something deadly and evil. It’s certainly breathtaking, but while one is there, it may be the last breath taken. Rappaccini (antagonist) was a fine scientist, but just like it’s said in the story, “he cares infinitely more for science than for mankind” (5). The conflict is, why would such ...
In contrast, Hawthorne portrays sympathetic and reverent tones towards Beatrice. The author uses poetic diction to describe the beautiful young woman. He writes, “?arrayed with as much richness of taste as the most splendid of the flowers?bloom so deep and vivid that one shade more would have been too much?redundant with life, health, and energy?” Beatrice is described as a part of nature and vivacious. She has been isolated from the world and the world she lives in only consists of the garden. She has a child like innocence and is very na?ve. She even states, “I dreamed only to love thee and be with thee a little time, and so let thee pass away, leaving but thine image in mine heart.” This passage shows the purity of her love for Giovanni. Thus, Beatrice symbolizes the innocence of Eve and Giovanni symbolizes the pride and shallowness of Adam. In Rappiccini’s Daughter, the major conflict is between the famous doctor of Italy, Giacomo Rappaccini, and his rival, the professor of the university, Pietro Baglioni. This conflict correlates to the conflict between the Grand Creator, God, and Satan the Devil in the Garden of Eden. Rappaccini symbolizes God in the sense that he had created the beautiful garden and is the father to Beatrice, the caretaker.
Rappaccini states, “My daughter, thou art no longer lonely in the world?my science and the sympathy between thee and him have so wrought within his system that he now stands apart from common men?” In this passage, Rappaccini has provided his daughter with a partner as God provided the lonely Adam with a companion. Another reason Rappaccini symbolizes God is that he endowed Beatrice and Giovanni with a “marvelous gift”. In the same sense, God had given the gift of everlasting life to Adam and Eve to “subdue the earth”. Hawthorne’s tones towards Rappaccini are somber yet reverent. Through descriptive diction, he writes, ” His figure soon emerged into view, and showed itself to be that of no common laborer, but a tall, emaciated, sallow, and sickly looking man, dressed in a scholar’s garb of black?with gray hair, a thin, gray beard, and a face singularly marked with intellect and cultivation?” Hawthorne describes Rappaccini as a dark and gloomy figure but he recognizes his intellect and shows reverence towards it. Similarly, Hawthorne is reverent towards Baglioni but is unsympathetic to the jealous scientist. Pietro Baglioni symbolizes Satan the Devil.
The Essay on God And Person Faith Life One
God and Person The word "person" can be interpreted and defined in many different ways, and there are many different aspects to consider when stating what a person really is. Accomplishments, goals, likes, dislikes, and experiences in life make a person who he or she really is. Traits most "central" to being a person include consciousness, reasoning, self-motivated activity, the capacity to ...
Baglioni continually conveys an evil image of Rappaccini to Giovanni. Baglioni states, “‘He would sacrifice human life, his own among the rest, or whatever else was dearest to him, for the sake of adding so much as a grain of mustard seed to the great heap of his accumulated knowledge.'” Similarly, Satan the Devil attempts to lure Adam’s companion into disobedience by stating, “Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” In both accounts, they try to create the illusion that Rappiccini/God is acting on his own interests. When Beatrice drinks the so called antidote and perishes, Baglioni looks from the mansion window and calls out, “‘Rappaccini! Rappaccini! And is this the upshot of your experiment!'” Baglioni, like the Devil, taunts Rappaccini/God when his Eden has been destroyed. Thus, Rappaccini symbolizes God, while the Devil is depicted by Baglioni. Rappaccini’s Daughter conveys the theme of loss of innocence and purity. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve lost their purity and innocence when they disobeyed God and ate the fruit from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. This disobedience was the result of their pride and the desire to become like gods. In the story, the loss of innocence and purity resulted when the perverse scientific rivalry between Rappaccini and Baglioni took the life of the passionate and innocent Beatrice. Through the literary devices of poetic and descriptive diction, Nathaniel Hawthorne depicted the symbolism of the characters and the setting. Through the allegory of the Garden of Eden, the dangers of the misuse of power are strongly portrayed.
The Essay on God vs. Evil
God, like Adam and Eve, suffered consequences. Genesis 3:14-17, God says: “Because you did this…” referring to the serpent who tempted Eve, then to Eve, and finally to Adam, “Because you did…” Humankind invited the existence of Evil into the goodness of God’s creation. No longer did God walk in the breeze of the Garden of Eden; no longer did God remain in the actual presence of humankind. No ...
