Free Essays on Rappaccinis Daughter

The Garden of Good and Evil (Rappaccini’s Daughter) Rappaccini’s daughter is a deeply symbolic story. It contains many references to mythology and other works. However, I would like to address the story of Rappaccini’s Daughter, the fable of Giovanni and Beatrice as an analogy of Adam and Eve. Also, another interpretation of the story is worth notice: three men and a woman. All three men have their purposes for and judgments of Beatrice. All three men project corruption on an innocent, and imbue her with evil that really does not exist within her. On the surface, the analogy to the Bible is clear: Rappaccini as God, Giovanni and Beatrice as Adam and Eve in the Garden, Baglioni as Satan, lurking around trying to act upon and influence the characters in the Garden. The tree of life and death, the eternal fountain of purity flowing. However, the parallels to the biblical Garden of Eden can also be determined as quite the opposite of their equivalents in the Bible. Instead of a tree of life; the shrub of death. Instead of the innocent companions; fearful accomplices. Instead of a benevolent God; a malevolent Father, his bent purposes imposed on the innocent and unsuspecting inhabitants of the Garden. The garden and its central highlight, the purple flowered shrub, resembling the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life, are the central scheme around which the story revolves. The shrub is at once enticing and forbidding, beautiful yet dreadful. The same terms are applied to Beatrice, â€Å"What is this being? Beautiful shall I call her, or inexpressibly terrible?† (1753) In Giovanni’s dream, â€Å"Flower and maiden were different, and yet the same, and fraught with some strange peril in either shape.† (1750) The ruined fountain, with the water still gushing forth, lies in the background and is used by Beatrice to water the bush. Its ceaselessly flowing purity is used to nourish the venom... Free Essays on Rappaccini's Daughter Free Essays on Rappaccini's Daughter In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"Rappaccini’s Daughter†, Professor Pietro Baglioni characterizes Dr. Rappaccini as both a man and a scientist. There a passages that describes Baglioni’s opinion of Rappaccini on pages 52 and 53. Baglioni dislikes Rappaccini. He does not agree with his methods in science. Baglioni states â€Å"the truth is, our worshipful Dr. Rappaccini has as much science as any member of the faculty-with perhaps one single exception-in Padua, or all Italy; but there are certain grave objections to his professional character.† Baglioni seems to agree that the methods of Rappaccini are not what would be considered ethical. Baglioni also says that â€Å"But as for Rappaccini, it is said of him-and I, who know that man well, can answer for its truth-that he cars infinitely more for science than for mankind.† Obviously Baglioni has spent some time with the Dr. and does not car for him. He seems to disagree with Rappaccini in many if not all aspects of his life. Baglioni’s opinion is concreted on page 53, where Baglioni states â€Å"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.† Baglioni believes that Rappaccini is selfish and that he will do nothing but to further himself, and he will hurt anyone he needs to, even his own daughter.... Free Essays on Rappaccini's Daughter The Garden of Good and Evil (Rappaccini’s Daughter) Rappaccini’s daughter is a deeply symbolic story. It contains many references to mythology and other works. However, I would like to address the story of Rappaccini’s Daughter, the fable of Giovanni and Beatrice as an analogy of Adam and Eve. Also, another interpretation of the story is worth notice: three men and a woman. All three men have their purposes for and judgments of Beatrice. All three men project corruption on an innocent, and imbue her with evil that really does not exist within her. On the surface, the analogy to the Bible is clear: Rappaccini as God, Giovanni and Beatrice as Adam and Eve in the Garden, Baglioni as Satan, lurking around trying to act upon and influence the characters in the Garden. The tree of life and death, the eternal fountain of purity flowing. However, the parallels to the biblical Garden of Eden can also be determined as quite the opposite of their equivalents in the Bible. Instead of a tree of life; the shrub of death. Instead of the innocent companions; fearful accomplices. Instead of a benevolent God; a malevolent Father, his bent purposes imposed on the innocent and unsuspecting inhabitants of the Garden. The garden and its central highlight, the purple flowered shrub, resembling the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Life, are the central scheme around which the story revolves. The shrub is at once enticing and forbidding, beautiful yet dreadful. The same terms are applied to Beatrice, â€Å"What is this being? Beautiful shall I call her, or inexpressibly terrible?† (1753) In Giovanni’s dream, â€Å"Flower and maiden were different, and yet the same, and fraught with some strange peril in either shape.† (1750) The ruined fountain, with the water still gushing forth, lies in the background and is used by Beatrice to water the bush. Its ceaselessly flowing purity is used to nourish the venom...