Biblical Similarities in Hawthorne's "Rappaccini's Daughter"
In Nathanial Hawthorne's "Rappaccini's Daughter," many biblical parallels can be found. This short story duplicates the first three chapters of Genesis in the Bible. The similarities range from the characters, to the setting, and even to the deadly plant in the story. The account of Adam and Eve in Genesis chapters 1-3 is extremely similar to the situation of Giovanni and Beatrice in "Rappaccini's Daughter".
In both "Rappaccini's Daughter" and the Genesis chapters in the Bible, lush, beautiful gardens are the setting. Both gardens are exotic and pretty, but the Garden of Eden is bright and tropical, whereas Dr. Rappaccini's garden is dark and mysterious. Both gardens are home to a type of "forbidden" plant, but the Garden of Eden was created by God, whereas the garden in the story is created by a man with a god complex, Dr. Rappaccini.
The forbidden plant in Genesis is a gorgeous fruit tree. The tree in the Garden of Eden is called the Tree of Knowledge and was extremely tempting to Adam and Eve. However, the tree was deemed prohibited by God. The plant in Rappaccini's garden is a large flowering bush. The flowers on this bush are unlike any others and are extremely exquisite. The two plants share the trait of "forbidden," but in different ways. The fruit on the tree in Genesis was forbidden because God said so. The plant in Rappaccini's garden was forbidden because it was poisonous. The only person immune to the poison of this plant was Beatrice, then soon Giovanni.
In Hawthorne's story, a parallel between Giovanni and Adam is established. Both are young men, and each were tempted by a beautiful young woman. Giovanni in Hawthorne's story was lured into the garden by Beatrice's beauty. Adam was lured by Eve's beauty to betray God. Beatrice and Eve also share similarities. They both are beautiful and young and are naïve to the evils of the world they live in.
The serpent in "Rappaccini's Daughter" is clearly represented by Dr. Rappaccini and Professor Pietro Baglioni. Dr. Rappaccini is responsible for luring Giovanni into the garden for his daughter, and also for exposing him to the toxin that led to him becoming like Beatrice, poisonous and stuck in the garden. Professor Pietro Baglioni is responsible for giving Giovanni the silver vial with the supposed antidote for the poisons. When Giovanni gives Beatrice the vial she then dies because the poison is too entwined with her body. Sadly, she was not given a second chance like Adam and Eve.
The story of "Rappaccini's Daughter" is an extremely enjoyable story with close biblical ties. The parallels are extremely apparent and also very important. What seems to be a story simply of fatal love is quite possibly a retelling of the opening chapter of Genesis in the Bible.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
The story of Adam and Eve and Anthem’s Prometheus & Gaea are alike yet they aren’t. They are 2 sets of rebels living in their own worlds. They’ve shown great potential in achieving new things. No one is quite like these four. In fact, they were the building blocks of their society. Despite their unique distinctions they are somewhat alike.…
- 688 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Another example that both stories are similar is that in the story, "Emancipation A Life Fable" is the animal in the story want to escape the cage to see what is beyond he closed door. Every time he tries to exit the door he…
- 494 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The two texts titled “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” and “The Minister’s Black Veil” written by Jonathan Edwards and Nathaniel Hawthorne share some similarities and differences in terms of themes. Also, the styles developed throughout the story share a couple similarities and differences as well.…
- 456 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The epic of "Gilgamesh," the book of "Genesis" and Ovid’s "Metamorphoses" poem all have several similarities; some are the creation story, a story of a fall, and a flood. Among these similarities, there are also distinct differences. In terms of similarities, all three stories present the creation story of the world out of chaos. " Genesis" and "Metamorphoses" state that man was created on god's image and that’s when humans were first brought into life. On the other hand, looking at some differences, Adam and Eve were created by god in "Genesis".…
- 467 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
attempting to make Giovanni immune to the poison of the plant, so they could be…
- 425 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Michael Pollan’s film, The Botany of Desire, opened my eyes to the complicated relationship between people and plants. Pollan opened up with the following statement: “Flowers. Trees. Plants. We 've always thought that we controlled them. But what if, in fact, they have been shaping us?” (Pollan, PBS) I paused the film and took a few minutes to let this soak in. I was always under the impression that we were manipulating plants to our benefit only. I never thought that the plants were gaining something as well. The narrator explains, “The Botany of Desire examines this relationship by telling the stories of four plants that ensured their survival…
- 1605 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
In Kosinski’s novel, the first thing Chance does upon awakening each morning is tend to his beloved plants. He very gently touches “every plant, every flower, every branch of the garden” (3), a direct metaphor to Christ and the church. Chance, who possesses the qualities that were taught by Christ, compares the plants he tends to human beings. He compares their life cycle to that of humans who need care in order to live, to survive disease, and to die peacefully. He makes the following observation in the film: “Young plants do much better if a person helps them,” emphasizing his compassion and nurturing nature.…
- 804 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
In John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, the biblical stories of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel are represented through the life of Adam Trask. Through mistakes and success, every character, no matter how minor or major, has something to give to readers to remember. Throughout East of Eden by John Steinbeck, the protagonist Adam Trask demonstrates several morals and life lessons. From watching Adam from the start to the end of the book, there are countless themes to learn. Adam’s many mistakes throughout his life show readers the consequences of what can happen if they do the same.…
- 861 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Every writer creates a unique story that takes a life of its own, and teaches us a lesson. These stories can be similar with the same themes, plots, and other characteristics however overall they are unmistakably different. The similarities and differences of, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck and “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst is the quintessential example of this.…
- 474 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
To begin, when a writer refers to a garden, it most typically means to reference the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden is suggested throughout writings of all eras to be true paradise. Biblically, Adam and Eve used to reside in the Garden of Eden, and were told by the Lord that they could go wherever they liked and eat whatever they desired so long as they stayed away from the tree of knowledge. This tale ends in a snake, which is a symbol for the devil, convincing Eve to eat an apple from the tree, the apple representing sin. After eating the fruit, Eve suddenly knew what evil and sin were. After promptly convincing Adam to eat from the tree as well, God kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden.…
- 1032 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne can share similar meaning to the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. In both these all around created novels it demonstrates vital subjects all through these books. These novels can be associated by Thomas Hardy quote which states,”A story must be exceptional enough to justify its telling; it must have something more unusual to relate than the ordinary experience of every average man and women.” This quote can relate to the novels because in both stories they experience something unusual to be related to an ordinary person. Due to the fact of both novels having something to do with a experience of something unordinary, has caused to grabbed the reader's attention.…
- 630 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Both the Bible and Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter, redemption from sin is a prominent theme. Hawthorne and the Bible recognize that sin is inevitable - humans, as a part of life, sin. However, it is accepting and growing from these sins that allow peace of mind. The experience of Arthur Dimmesdale parallels that of the Bible's story of King David and Bathsheba and demonstrates that sin is a natural, unavoidable part of human life, but having committed a sin without confession leads to a life of internal turmoil and guilt.…
- 929 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Based on Dimmesdale, what is Hawthorne’s view of sin, guilt, and the consequences hidden sin?…
- 411 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Sin, according to the concept of Felix culpa or the fortunate fall, is necessary in human life. Its entire idea is based on the fact that, in order to achieve greatness, man must first "fall". He who rises above his offense evolves both spiritually and morally. In The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne presents the character of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale in such a humane way that, instinctively, their suffering and pain becomes a strange object of interest and pity. The manners in which their distress occurs, however, are entirely different. While the reverend undergoes a deep torment of the soul, one that leads to his climatic revelation, the adulteress experiences misery through social estrangement. Either way, both the frail man and the misunderstood woman undergo a drastic metamorphosis that, by the use of a precise novel structure and three balanced scaffold scenes, bring the story to a full circle.…
- 1417 Words
- 4 Pages
Better Essays -
the words of Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, the sacred groves, “Unlike a botanical garden, where a…
- 5799 Words
- 24 Pages
Powerful Essays