Rappaccinis Daughter Essay: Finding the Heart in Rappaccinis Daughte

Finding the Heart in Rappaccinis little girl In Hawthornes condensed story, Rappaccinis Daughter, Rappaccini is ostensibly a cold, calculating scientist. A pure scientist who would willingly give his daughter, himself, or whatever else most precious to him for the sake of adding so much as a grain of mustard seed to the colossal heap of his accumulated knowledge (1641). This leads most to believe that Rappaccini lacks any perception and concern for his scientific subjects and their desires. This assumption, however, is incorrect. Rappaccini cares dearly for, if no one else, one soul and is willing to use his science to meet her needs. This person is his own daughter. Upon Giovannis wrathful outburst to Beatrice, Rappaccini says, My science and the sympathy between thee and him have so shaped within his system that he now stands apart from common men, as thou dost, daughter of my pride and triumph, from ordinary women (1655). Rappaccini clearly cares dearly for his daughte r and is willing to use his science to make Giovanni compatible with Beatrice because he recognizes her service human need for companionship. The conclusion reached by a cursory read of Rappaccinis Daughter is that Dr. Rappaccini is an evil, cold, and calculating scientist with only his scientific advancement in mind. This conclusion stems from professor Baglionis portrait of him. By Professor Baglionis account, Dr. Rappaccini cares infinitely more for science than for domain (1641). The hints of poison in Beatrices person and the poisonous vegetation in Dr. Rappaccinis tend seem to support this assumption. There is an obvious parallel between the good-looking flowers, their wonderful scents and Beatrices beauty and scented breath. Professor... ...and the love between her and Giovanni. He treasured only to be able to say, My daughter, thou art no hourlong lonely in the world, and to see his beloved daughter happy, as is the coveting of every parent for his child. Doctor Gi acomo Rappaccini was not a cruel, bent, old man with an exclusive zeal for science and science alone. Rather, he was a yaup stricken man of science devastated by the horrible intolerance of one Professor Pietro Baglioni who, looking forth from the window of Dr. Rappaccinis house at the significance of Beatrices death, called loudly, in a tone of triumph . . . Rappaccini Rappaccini And is this the upshot of your experiment (1655). industrial plant Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Rappaccinis Daughter. The Tradition in American Literature Ed. George Perkins, et al, vol. 1, 7th ed. New York McGraw cumulus Publishing Company, 1990. 1637 - 1655.