Rappaccini's Daughter - Nathaniel Hawthorne Illustrates a Journey

Jessica Fritz

Professor Morgan

AML2010

19 October 2015

Paper 2: Rappaccini’s Daughter

In “Rappaccini’s Daughter”, Nathaniel Hawthorne illustrates a journey

into a mysterious garden where temptation, moral conflict, selfishness, and science play a role in the lives of the characters at play, all while using imagery and interpretation to tie his creation into the story of Adam and Eve.  Giovanni Guasconti was a young, handsome man who came to study at the University of Padua.  He arrives to his new living quarters and looks around to see a gloomy, dark apartment. He recognizes that the building had belonged to a Paduan noble that had been a character in Dante’s Inferno. This is the first example of imagery, so it gives the reader an idea of things to come. In the Divine Comedy (Dante’s Inferno), Dante takes the reader on a journey from Hell to Purgatory to Paradise. As he looks around the apartment, it is as if he is comparing it to the pits of hell, as in Dante’s Inferno. The caretaker, Lisabetta, then implies for him to take a look out the window to the infamous Dr. Giacomo Rappaccini’s garden. At first glance, he does not seem too impressed, although, he does admit that there are some strange flowers blossoming in Dr. Rappaccini’s garden. She intrigues his attention by telling him of the doctor’s intent to use the lavish flowers for medicinal purpose.  Lisabetta also mentions the mysterious daughter of Rappaccini named Beatrice, whom is known by all young men around town for her beauty.

        As Giovanni studies the garden, he describes it intensely, noting the marble fountain in the center, said to be identified as an “immortal spirit” (Rosenberry 2). Although the fountain was broken, it still flowed and sparkled in the sunlight. The plants and flowers were magnificent, and all seemed to be cross pollinations of the scientist’ work.  He noted that every spec of the garden had some type of plant or flower growing.  As the dark appearance of Rappaccini enters the garden, he treats every plant as if it is a “deadly snake or evil spirit” (Hawthorne 433).  It is if the scientist is intentionally watching these plants from a distance, for he is the only one to harbor their true potential and deadliness. Giovanni then leads us to our next section of imagery by asking if the garden “was the Eden of the present world” (Hawthorne 433). In the Story of Adam and Eve, God created Man (Adam) and put him in the Garden of Eden to work and take care of it. He then provides a companion for him by putting him in a deep sleep and using one of his ribs to create Eve. Adam and Eve are told to eat from any tree except the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. After temptation from the serpent, Eve grabs an apple from the tree and gives a piece to Adam. By doing so, they deceived God, and he now puts on them the curse of shame, work, and pain during childbearing (Genesis 2-4).  This story’s significance will prove to unravel Hawthorne’s creation!