Rappaccini's Daughter

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Rappaccini’s Daughter Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Rappaccuii”s Daughter” is a tragic love story about a young man, Giovanni Guasconti, who moves into an apartment that overlooks a mysterious garden. He then falls in love with Beatrice, the daughter of the gardens owner, Dr. Giacomo Rappaccini. The setting of the story takes place in Rappaccini’s garden, witch holds great simiularity to the garden of Eden. By using allegory, Hawthorne creates a modern day version of the events that transpired in the Garden of Eden, only this time, the role of Adam and Eve are switched. The majority of the story takes place in Rappaccini’s garden which is a biblical symbol of the Garden of Eden. During the story, their are few comparison made between the two. The shrub in the pool is considered as a substitute for the tree of knowledge in Eden. Beatrice even states that the shrub was “created” by her father, Rappaccini, who is Hawthorne’s substitute for god. The river in the garden of eden is a lot like the fountain sitting in the middle of the garden. Giovanni states that it was as if it "were an immortal spirit, that sung its song unceasingly.” Just as the Garden of Eden was a safe place for Adam and Eve, Rappaccini's garden was also a safe place for Beatrice because while she was in the garden, she was around the poison that she was made of and was in no danger of infecting others. The garden soon beacame a safe place for Giovanni as well. Dr. Pietro Baglioni is an old friend of Giovanni’s father and is Hawthorne’s substitute for satan. He continuously talks about his rivalry with Rappaccini, accusing Rappaccini of being interested only in his experiments and of Rappaccini's desire to replace Baglioni at the university with his daughter just as Satan sees God as a nobody intending to replace his angels with mankind. Baglioni is intention is to "foil Rappaccini where he

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