Albta Fojt II.ro.

Civics

EXPLORE THE MORAL AMBIGUITY IN RAPPACCINIS DAUGHTER BY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE. HOW THIS SHORT STORY CAN BE VIEWED AS THE CRITICISM OF TRANSCENDENTALISM?
This Hawthornes short story narrates about the people living in the nature and about the nature influencing the peoples lives, as well. It is a story about love between two young people, but also about the hatred between two professional rivals Rappaccini & Baglioni, which all together cause the death of the innocent beautiful young woman Rappaccinis daughter Beatrice; and at the end of the story there is naturally a question: Who is guilty? Who is responsible for the bereavement of the girls young life? Could Rappaccini be an infanticide? Maybe he could: He grew poisonous herbs in his garden, although he knew very well about their possible ability to kill somebody. He didn't tell anything about the danger, which threatened to anybody who would come into the garden. He was aware of the fact that Beatrice had become poisonous only thanks to him. He preferred the science and scientific research over the human life, even over the life of his own daughter! Prof. Baglioni said to young Giovanni: He cares infinitely more for science than for man kind. His patients are interested to him only as subjects for some new experiment. He would sacrifice human life, his own among the rest, or whatever else was dearest to him. (The Norton Anthology page no.1147) But on the other hand, he tried, maybe, to help people by looking for a new ways of using poisonous flowers for medical purposes. And nobody was allowed to come into the garden. He didn't want to hurt his daughter; he only wanted to preserve her he knew that the antidote meant her death; he would never give it to her! Professor Baglioni is he the killer? Possibly: He hated Rappaccini. And what is better revenge than to hurt, or even kill some of his close relatives? He knew Beatrices condition and breached of Giovannis confidence to damage his rival. Baglioni was the Professor, so that he had to know very well about the effect of the antidote which he gave to young man in love. But it must be admitted that he could act in good faith he knew the old fable of the Indian woman and he saw the parallel between her fate and Beatrice's destiny. So that he wanted to rescue the lives of both young people Beatrice's and Giovannis one. Maybe he really believed in magical effect of his antidote. The indisputable fact is that it was Giovanni who gave her the lethal antidote. He wanted to save her so much that he didn't see the possible danger and made her drink a little silver vase. Her last words to him were: Your words of hatred are like lead within my heart! Oh, was there not, from the first, more poison in thy nature than in mine? (The Norton Anthology page no.1162) But he didn't have actually any reasons to slay his love, he wanted to help her, he didn't think that he could kill her; moreover, he was under the strong influence of Professor Baglioni.

As you can see, in all cases there are several arguments on both sides each of these three men could or don't have to be blamed for the Beatrice's death. Because each of them is only a human being that means that they have both good and bad sides of their characters. Human beings are neither only naturally good as Transcendentalism says; nor divided into two extreme groups: Angels and Devils! People are born without any predetermination to be only good or only bad but during the time you are getting older you must choose on which side you will go. This decision is only up to each of us. Professor Pietro Baglioni looked from the window and called loudly, in a tone of triumph mixed with horror, to the thunder-stricken man of science: Rappaccini! Rappaccini! And is this the upshot of your experiment? (The Norton Anthology page no.1162) - Baglioni, face to face the Death, didn't know himself whether he was feeling the triumph or the fright; the evidence that each human spirit is a mixture of goodness and badness. In this story is also expressed forever fight between the Nature and human beings man wants to use natural source for himself, wants to be better that the Nature. Man tries to take as much as possible from the nature, but doesn't want to give anything and doesnt know that this fight is hopelessly lost. Transcendentalism sees the Nature as a source of inspiration, delight,... place where everything is naturally good. But in this story you can see that not everything coming from the Nature must be good: To Beatrice as poison had been life, so the powerful antidote was death. (The Norton
Anthology page no.1162)