Rappaccini's Daughter Analysis

Til’ Death Do Us Part It is evident throughout these stories that it is the “…people closest to [the main characters] through their pursuits of ideals that lead them to try to improve nature” (Wright 37). For instance, in “The Birth-mark”, Hawthorne focuses the story around Aylmer, the scientist, and his dire need to perfect his wife. He believes that he will be in full triumph when he corrects “…what Nature left imperfect” (Hawthorne 421). The story is “…based on the premise that science can reverse or eradicate natural flaws with impunity” (Wright 35). In this case her flaw is a birthmark upon her left cheek that is in the shape of a small crimson hand. Many believe the hand resting upon her face alludes to the hand of Nature itself. The …show more content…
Beatrice Rappaccini, the daughter of the scientist, Giacomo Rappaccini, “…exemplifies the sort of female vitality, passion, and self-expression that we associate with the heroines of [Hawthorne’s] novels…” (Pearson 60). In the long run, Rappaccinni “…cares infinitely more for science than for mankind”, but has a special place in his heart for his daughter. Randall Stewart proposes that “Beatrice belongs to a group of women depicted by Hawthorne ‘whose nature is marked by a certain exotic richness’” (Wright 195). Even though the scientist in this story is Beatrice’s father, he rarely appears throughout the story because his form of science remains active in his daughter. He can be described as “…an inhuman scientist [who] has cultivated his intellect at the expanse of his heart” (Wright 197). Rappaccinni “…misjudges what will give Beatrice happiness” and isolates her from the outside world. It was not until Giovanni Guasconti, the male protagonist of this story, showed interest in his daughter, when he realized that she had been truly happy. For instance, he is seen admiring and observing Beatrice from afar through his apartment window. He notices that whenever Beatrice were to touch a plant or an insect, it would immediately perish. He even bought her a bouquet of flowers that resembled the flowers from the garden and saw them “wither in her grasp” before his own eyes as he dropped them down from his apartment window (Hawthorne 437). Giovanni does not realize that Beatrice’s father is solely responsible for the “…transformation of his daughter Beatrice from an innocent young girl into a sorceress who is an instrument of death” (Wright 197). For instance, after Giovanni discovered he was experiencing the same symptoms as Beatrice, he verbally attacked her, wrongly