Beatrice Rappaccini: A Victim of Male Love and Horror
Author(s): Richard Brenzo
Source: American Literature, Vol. 48, No. 2 (May, 1976), pp. 152-164
Published by: Duke University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2925069
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Beatrice Rappaccini: A Victim of Male Love
and Horror
RICHARD
BRENZO
Universityof Wisconsin,Milwaukee
HAVE BEEN FASCINATED by NathanielHawthorne's"Rappaccini'sDaughter,"a tale which has provedas elusive,amas BeatriceRappacciniis in the
biguous,symbolic,
and intimidating
eyesofGiovanniGuasconti.RoyR. Male seesthestoryas an allegory,
faith"and mabetween"idealistic"
richin ambiguity,
abouta conflict
terialistic
skepticism,"
withBeatricesymbolizingthe first,Baglioni
thesecond,and Giovannicaughtbetweenthetwo.1FrederickCrews
emphasizesthe psychosexualelementsof the tale, characterizing
Giovannias "anotherHawthorneprotagonist
to juvewho regresses
Otherscholarsview the tale as
nile nauseaoverfemalesexuality."2
an allegoryof corruptedand pure nature,or emphasizethe attack
on single-minded
scientificinquiry,representedby Doctor Raphave validity,especiallyCrews'sstress
paccini.These interpretations
on the sexual qualityof Beatrice'sallure. However,what I find
of threemento a
concernwiththerelationship
is thestory's
striking
harmsanyof them,and
woman,who,thoughsheneverdeliberately
thoughthe men professto have her good in mind,is nevertheless
destroyed
bythem.
The tale is a partialallegory;Beatrice'spoisonousnatureas well
as the gardenand its contentsare to be understoodsymbolically,
and to
and therelationship
of thewomanwithherlover,herfather,
a lesserextenther professionalrival, Baglioni,are typicalmalemustexhibitcredibleattitudes,
femalepairings.Yet the characters
motives,and responsesif the story'sethicalcontentis to have any
and
For thistale,likeThe ScarletLetter,"The Birthmark,"
validity.
of one personby another,
"Ethan Brand,"concernstheexploitation
forlove,forrevenge,forscience,or simplyforcuriosity.
is carriedon for a
In "Rappaccini'sDaughter"thisexploitation
RITICS
1 RoyR. Male,Hawthorne's
TragicVision(Austin,Tex., I957),
2
p. 67.
Themes(New
FrederickC. Crews,The Sins of the Fathers:Hawthorne'sPsychological
York, I966), p. I34.
Beatrice Rappaccini
I53
reasonbyeach of themalecharacters.
different
All theirmotivesare
based on Beatrice'sfemaleness,althoughher sexualityis the prime
motiveonly for Giovanni.She becomesa focus for these men's
fantasies,
fears,and desires,and is creditedwith(or at leastpunished
which in factspringfromwithinthe
for) variousevil intentions
mindsof the threemen. In the languageof psychology,
Giovanni,
Rappaccini,and Baglioni"project"upon Beatriceimpulsestheyare
unwillingto acknowledgeas theirown. Ethan Brandfinallylearns
thatthe greatestsin lies in the human heart,in fact,in his own
heart.But neitherGiovanni,Rappaccini,nor Baglionievergains a
similarinsight.
The centralsymbolof thetale is not Beatrice,thegarden,or the
gorgeousflower,but the poison which pervadesall three.Poison
usuallysymbolizesdeath,but here the effectseemsmorefearsome
becausemoresubtle,rendering
thevictimscontagiousto otherswithout killingthem.However,thepoisoncausesa deathof sorts,since
it isolatesits victimsfrommostpreviousor futurehumanrelationships.This isolationis preciselywhat causes Beatriceher greatest
sorrow.
Yet thepoisonitselfis introducedby a man,herfather;it is not
inherentin the woman. This extremely
importantpointis underlined by the tale Baglionirelatesto Giovanniof how an Indian
princesenta womanas a giftto AlexandertheGreat.This beautiful
womanhad been"nourishedwithpoisonsfromherbirthupward."3
The princehad expectedAlexanderto be poisonedwhen he had
relationswiththewoman."'With thatrichperfumeof herbreath,
she blastedthe veryair. Her love would have been poison!-her
embracedeath!Is notthisa marvellous
tale?'" (p. II7). The Indian
prince,likeRappaccini,is obviously
responsible
forimpregnating
the
woman'ssystemwithpoison; yethe is mentionedonlyonce,while
Baglioni'sretellingdwells on the woman's beautyand deadliness.
AlthoughBaglioniknows,and Giovannieventuallylearns,who is
responsiblefor Beatrice'senvenomedbody,theirefforts
to thwart
Rappaccini'spower are aimed at his innocentdaughter,who stirs
theirimaginations
farmorethandoesherfather.
The inclusionof thistaleby "an old classicauthor"(p. II7) also
universalizes
thesignificance
of Hawthorne'sallegory."Rappaccini's
3 NathanielHawthorne,
MossesFroman Old Manse,Centenary
Editionof the Worksof
NathanielHawthorne,ed. WilliamCharvatand others(Columbus,Ohio, I974), p. II7.
I54
American Literature
Daughter"is his variationon the"femmefatale"legend,one of the
and folklore.She is the woman
mostprevalentmythsof literature
degrades,devours,and enwhose embraceis death,who destroys,
slavesherlovers.But neitherBeatricenor theIndianwomanis this
harmfulto men.
kind of female,essentially
malignant,deliberately
Let us firstlook at Giovanni'sbehavior,since his relationship
withBeatriceformsthe main plot of the story.The youngman is
infatuated
withherfromthemomenthe firstseesherin thegarden
dangerous
sensessomething
belowherwindow.Yet he immediately
and immunity
to the
becauseofherresemblance
abouther,especially
avoids."Flowerand
plantwhichherfathercarefully
purple-flowered
maiden were different
and yet the same, and fraughtwith some
thisfeelingcomes
strangeperilin eithershape"(p. 98). Significantly,
to him in a dream,showinghow Giovanni'sown fancybegins
to influencehis idea of the woman.Moreover,
almostimmediately
otherimagerysuggeststhatmaidenand flowerare not only sisters
to Giovanni'ssexualfearof
but lovers,addinga senseof perversion
Beatrice.
Since Giovanni'simaginationis provokedby his veryfirstobforhim to
servanceof Beatriceand her surroundings,
it is difficult
focus on the realityof who and what she is. In the following
passage,notice how his thoughtsquickly move away from the
createdby his mind.
actualityof Beatriceto metaphors
"Heream I, myfather!
Whatwouldyou?"crieda richand youthful
house;a voiceas richas a tropical
voicefromthewindowoftheopposite
and whichmadeGiovanni,
thoughhe knewnotwhy,thinkof
sunset,
andofperfumes
heavilydelectable.
deephuesofpurpleorcrimson,
Soon thereemergedfromundera sculptured
portalthe figureof a
of tasteas themostsplendid
withas muchrichness
younggirl,arrayed
of the flowers. . . witha bloom so deep and vividthatone shade more
would have been too much. . . . the impressionwhich the fairstranger
the humansister
madeuponhimwas as if herewereanotherflower,
as they. . . butstillto be touched
of thosevegetable
ones,as beautiful
without
a mask.(pp. 9697)
onlywitha glove,norto be approached
The associationof Beatricewiththe plantis onlypartiallycorrect.
rich,and perilous,Beatricehas human
Althoughbothare beautiful,
more
thanGiovanni'sfantasies.
She loves
her
which
make
qualities
beautifulthings,shewantsto love,sheis able to laugh,to think,and
Beatrice Rappaccini
I55
The twowordsused
as thereaderlaterdiscovers.
herself,
to sacrifice
to describeher are "rich" and "deep," both inmost frequently
beauty,and knowledge,not all
dicatingan abundanceof character,
view.
maybe apparenton first
ofwhich,however,
The nexttimeGiovanniwatchesBeatrice,he noticeswithhorror
that an insectbuzzing near her suddenlyfalls dead, and that a
bouquet he tossesher seems to witheras soon as she catchesit.
Giovanni avoids the window for severaldays, yet cannot bring
himselfto vacatehischambersor getusedto Beatrice'sdailyroutine.
describestheemotionsshe has arousedin the
Hawthornebrilliantly
youngman.
fatal
attributes-that
Whetheror no Beatricepossessedthoseterrible
and deadlyflowers-which
withthoseso beautiful
breath-theaffinity
shehad at leastinstilled
wereindicated
bywhatGiovannihadwitnessed,
her
It was notlove,although
a fierce
and subtlepoisonintohissystem.
her
evenwhilehe fancied
to him;norhorror,
richbeautywasa madness
essencethatseemedto pervade
spirittobe imbuedwiththesamebaneful
thathad
ofbothloveandhorror
herphysical
frame;buta wildoffspring
each parentin it, and burnedlike one and shiveredlike the other.
Giovanniknewnotwhatto dread;stilllessdid he knowwhatto hope;
be theydarkor bright!It is the
. . . Blessedare all simpleemotions,
theilluminating
blazeofthe
of
that
produces
luridintermixturethetwo
infernal
regions.
(p. 105)
Giovanni'sdreads are indefinable,yet potentand monstrous;his
"loveand horror"are reactionsto the"embrace"and the"death"he
associateswiththesexualityof Beatrice.The passagemakesit clear
Beatriceis not tryingto seduceGiovanniin any sense.He "fancies"
herspiritis fullof a "banefulessence"becausethe vague evidences
of her poisonoussystemare seized upon and magnifiedby fears
in hispsyche.
alreadypresent
Giovanni'sfirstmeetingwithBeatrice,whichoccursafterhe has
in sepaadmiredher forsome time,showshis continualdifficulty
ratinghis image of her fromreality.His two talkswith Baglioni
to his feelingthatthereis somethingsinister
have also contributed
aboutRappacciniand his daughter,withoutgivinghim muchof a
Beatricewarns
Significantly,
clue as to why theyare threatening.
him almostat once to " 'Believenothingof me save what you see
withyourown eyes'" (p. iii). SincewhatGiovannihas seenwith
his own eyeshas only confusedhim, he respondswith "'Bid me
I56
American Literature
savewhatcomesfromyourownlips'" (p. II2). Her
believe
nothing,
to theheartof thestory:"'I do so bid you,
replygoes straight
Signor!'she replied,'Forgetwhatever
you mayhave fanciedin
regardtome.Iftruetotheoutward
stillitmaybe falsein its
senses,
essence.Butthewordsof Beatrice
Rappaccini's
lipsare truefrom
thedepths
oftheheartoutward.
Thoseyoumaybelieve!'"(p. II2).
Giovanni
is deeplyimpressed
"He seemedtogaze
bythisstatement.
thebeautiful
through
girl'seyesintohertransparent
soul,and felt
no moredoubtor fear"(p. II2). For a moment,
on
hermystery,
whichhisimagination
feeds,
disappears,
shedoesnotseem
although
thereby
shalloworlessintriguing.
As theytalk,Giovanninotesthat
herthoughts
seemsto come"froma deepsource";theyoungman
is surprised
thatthe woman"whomhe had idealizedin such
huesof terror"
shouldturnout to be "so humanand so maidenlike.. . . theeffect
ofhercharacter
was tooreal,notto makeitself
familiarat once" (p. I
3).
ForBeatrice
theconversation
is alsoa milestone,
sinceGiovanni's
presencemakesher forgetthe shrubwith purpleblossomsforthe
firsttime.Despiteher manyvirtues,her personality
is incomplete,
sinceherlovehasbeendirected
a plant,nota humanbeing.
towards
She immediately
demonstrates
herconcern
forGiovanni's
welfare;
whenhe reachestopluckoneofthepurpleflowers,
shewarnshim
away:"'Touch it not!'exclaimed
she,in a voiceofagony.'Notfor
thylife! It is fatal!'" (p. II4). Giovannilaterforgetsthisconcern
forhissafety.
Afterhe returns
tohisroom,Giovanni'sthoughts
of Beatriceare a
minglingof his imaginingswiththerealityhe has experienced.
The imageofBeatrice
camebacktohispassionate
musings,
invested
with
all thewitchery
thathad beengathering
aroundit eversincehis first
ofher,andnowlikewise
glimpse
imbuedwitha tender
warmth
ofgirlish
womanhood.
She was human:hernaturewas endowedwithall gentle
and feminine
qualities;she was worthiest
to be worshipped;
she was
capable,surely,
on herpart,of theheightand heroismof love.Those
whichhe hadhitherto
tokens,
considered
as proofs
ofa frightful
peculiarityinherphysical
andmoralsystem,
werenoweither
forgotten,
or,bythe
subtlesophistry
of passion,transmuted
intoa goldencrownof enchantment.(p. II4)
Now Giovanniidealizesher,and his idealizationignoresthe real,
Beatrice Rappaccini
I57
thoughnot willful,perilsin her "physicalsystem."Swingingbetweenthe two classicextremesof viewingwoman as demon or as
saint,he neverfindsa basisin realityforhis feelingsaboutBeatrice.
HawthornehintsthatGiovannifeelsonlya "cunningsemblanceof
in theimagination,
lovewhichflourishes
but findsno depthof root
intotheheart"(p. II5).
Giovannicontinuesto meetBeatrice,now withherfullapproval,
and even at her insistence.All "appreciablesigns,"such as their
looks and words,indicatetheyare in love. Yet thereis a distance
betweenthem;theirlove has no sexualdimension,"no seal of lips,
no clasp of hands,nor any slightest
caress,such as love claimsand
hallows"(p. ii6). Giovanniwantsthisphysicalintimacy,
yetwhen
he seeksit, Beatricegiveshim "such a look of desolateseparation"
(p. ii6) thathe givesup his attempts.
If we understandthe story
Beatriceavoidsthiscontactbecauseshefearscontaminating
literally,
him.Butis therea deepermeaningbehindheravoidanceofphysical
contact?
Giovanni'sreactionsprovidea clue. Beatrice'sreluctancecauses
"horriblesuspicionsthatrose,monster-like,
out of thecavernsof his
heart,and staredhim in the face; his love grew thinand faintas
the morning-mist
. . ." (p. ii6). Giovannihas not reallyshed his
mistrust
of Beatrice.The strengthof his love decreaseswhen she
appearssad and increaseswhen she appearshappy; it has no firm
rootsin his heart.Love may "hallow" kisses,caresses,and deeper
sexualcontact,
butGiovanni'sloveis limitedand unhallowed.Unless
he can freehimselffromthe"horriblesuspicions"whicharisewhen
Beatriceavoidshistouches(suspicionswhichindicatehisinabilityto
look past her "physicalsystem"to her "moral system")he is not
preparedfortherisksand commitments
ofsexuallove.
His "horriblesuspicions"seemrelatedto fearof the "embraceof
death,"symbolizedby the poisonin Beatrice'ssystem.There is no
thatGiovannifeels"castrated"
suggestion
or inadequatebecauseshe
has rejectedhis sexualadvances.Rather,he seemsto desiresexual
union, while fearingits dangers.Ironically,Beatrice'sreluctance
itselfbringsabouthissuspicions
thattheremustbe something
deadly
in her,whichcould be unleashedupon him if he has relationswith
her.For Giovanni,sexualcommitment
to Beatricemeans"death"in
the sense of being dominatedby a woman, being robbedof his
I58
American Literature
independence,and having his personalityswallowedup. Beatrice
to bindhimto her; actually,sheprofesses
actuallymakesno attempt
to want"'only to love thee,and be withtheea littletime,and so to
lettheepassaway,leavingbutthineimagein mineheart'" (p. I25).
It is hard to believethis statement
could reflectBeatrice'sdeepest
of whichshe maybe unaware."Pass away" mayalso have
feelings,
two meanings,althoughI doubtwe shouldassumeBeatriceexpects
his insightseemsdeeperthanhers;
Giovanni'sdeath.In thismatter,
while
withBeatricemustbe permanent,
he knowshis involvement
the
she, ignorantof the power of her sexuality,underestimates
difficulties
of separatingher destinyfromGiovanni's.In fact,Gioto changeand control
vannihas a realcompulsiontopossessBeatrice,
her,a compulsionrevealedby his attemptsto know her sexually,
and by his persistent
desireto shapeher intohis personalimage of
thedivinewoman.
of Giovanni'slove and of his
The greatproofof the instability
wish to possess Beatricecomes when he decides to test her by
observingwhetherherbreathwiltsa bouquethe plans to give her.
with Baglionihas drivenhim to this trial,
His thirdconversation
since Baglionihas warnedhim thathe may be the subjectof an
conductedby Rappaccini,withhis daughter'sunwitting
experiment
assistance."'The fairand learnedSignoraBeatricewould minister
to herpatientswithdraughtsas sweetas a maiden'sbreath.But wo
to him thatsipsthem!'" (p. II8). BaglionigivesGiovannian antidote whichhe maintainswill cure Beatrice'spoisonousnatureand
foilRappaccini'sschemes.Giovanni,whoselatentsuspicionsareonce
again aroused"like so manydemons,"defendsBeatrice'shonesty
and virtue,but he cannot refuteBaglioni's claim that she is
"poisonousas she is beautiful!"(p. iI8). Therefore,he buys the
flowersforthe test,and also acceptsthe antidote.In doing so, he
notto believewhathe sees,but
ignoresBeatrice'searlierinstructions
onlywhatshetellshim.
JustbeforeGiovannileavesto testBeatrice,he looksvainlyin his
mirror,an actiondisplaying"a certainshallownessof feelingand
His shallownesscontrastswith
of character"(p. I2I).
insincerity
he admireshis
of Beatrice'sdepth.Unsuspecting,
earlierdescriptions
complexion,and thinks"'her poison has not yet inoverhealthy
sinuateditselfinto my system.I am no flowerto perishin her
he discoversthat the
Immediatelythereafter,
grasp!'" (p. I2I).
Beatrice Rappaccini
I59
havewithered
in hisownhand,apparently
flowers
fromthepoison
Withhisworstfearsconfirmed,
hehearsBeatrice
inhisownbreath.
callinghim,andmutters,
"'She is theonlybeingwhommybreath
maynotslay!Wouldthatit might!'"(p. I22). Hereis proofthat
thedeadlyintent
he attributes
toheris withinhimself
as well.
Although
Giovannihas beenrepeatedly
warnedthatRappaccini
is usingBeatriceto harmhim,and althoughhe has continually
observed
Rappaccini
onhimandhisdaughter,
spying
stilltheyoung
man'sfascination
and fearare alwaysfocusedon Beatrice,
noton
her father.In theirlast meetingGiovanniaccusesher: "'Yes,
poisonousthing!. . . Thou hastdoneit! Thou hastblastedme!
Thouhastfilledmyveinswithpoison!Thouhastmademeas hateanddeadlya creature
ful,as ugly,as loathsome
as thyself
. . . . let
us joinourlipsin onekissofunutterable
and so die!'" (p.
hatred,
I24). The motives
he attributes
to herarereallyhisown,as noted
previously.
Givinghertheantidote
is hisattempt
toremakeherinto
hisidealwoman.Onlyhefeels"unutterable
hatred."
Moregenerous
thanhe,Beatrice
tellshimto waitbefore
drinking
theantidote,
so
he canfirst
observe
theeffects
on herbody.Although
sheis willing
tosacrifice
herlifeforhim,heis willingtosacrifice
nothing
forher.
Giovannihas respect
neither
forwhatlittleindependence
Beatrice
has,norforherpersonal
integrity,
wherebothvirtues
andfaultsare
a
inextricably
entangled,
as theyarein everyone.
His "love"requires
womanwho will gratify
his ego and conform
to his fantasies.
Beatrice
makesno suchdemands
on himandis unawareuntiltheir
lastmeeting
thathe hasbecomepoisoned.
Therefore,
sheis entirely
correct
whensheaskshim,"Oh,wastherenot,fromthefirst,
more
poisonin thynaturethanin mine?"(p. I27). The poisonin her
"physical
system"
is farlessdeadlythanthevenomin his "moral
system."
Although
Baglioni
actswithmoredeliberation
thandoesGiovanni,
hisattitudes
andbehavior
resemble
thoseoftheyoungman.Superficially,
Baglioniappearsa benevolent
character,
concerned
withthe
ofhisoldfriend's
welfare
son,andintent
onexposing
andfrustrating
theschemes
ofRappaccini.
Yetalthough
realizesRappaccini
Baglioni
is thesourceof theevil,Beatrice
to
is thetargetof his attempts
combatthisevil.In fact,he seesheras a realdangertohisposition
attheUniversity,
telling
Giovanni,
"'she is already
qualified
tofilla
professor's
chair.Perchance
herfather
destines
herformine!'" (p.
i6o
American Literature
That thisfearis groundlessis provedby Beatrice'ssubsequent
denial."'Do people say thatI am skilledin my father'sscienceof
plants? . . . No; thoughI have grownup among theseflowers,I
know no moreof themthan theirhues and perfume;and sometimes,methinksI would fainrid myselfof even thatsmallknowledge'" (p. iii). Clearly,sheis nothappywiththelifeherfatherhas
forceduponher.
Baglioni,not Beatrice,seeks academic triumphand status.He
wantstodiscredit
Rappaccini,aboutwhomhe has mixedfeelings;he
fearsand envies,yetalso admiresthe doctor.PerhapsBaglionisuspectsthatRappaccinipossessesa greaterknowledgeof medicineand
botanythan he himselfdoes. He acknowledgesonly grudgingly
thatRappaccinihas had successtreating
thesickwithhis medicines,
whose" 'virtuesarecomprised
withinthosesubstances
whichwe term
vegetablepoisons'" (p. ioo). Later,BaglioniwarnsGiovannithat
"'for somepurposeor other,thisman of scienceis makinga study
ofyou.I knowthatlook ofhis! It is thesamethatcoldlyilluminates
his face,as he bendsovera bird,a mouse,or a butterfly,
which,in
pursuanceof some experiment,
he has killed by the perfumeof a
flower
;-a lookas deepas Natureitself,
butwithoutNature'swarmth
of love'" (p. I07). Baglioni'scallousmanipulation
of Giovanniand
Beatricelateron shows how well he fitshis own descriptionof
Rappaccini.That his hatredof the doctoris mixed with genuine
admirationis shown by his remarksafterhe gives Giovannithe
antidote(itselfa poison). "'Let us confessthetruthof him,he is a
man!-a wonderful
wonderful
manindeed!A vileempiric,
however,
in hispractice,
and therefore
notto be tolerated
bythosewho respect
thegood old rulesof themedicalprofession'"(p. I20).
Aftertheirfirstmeeting,Giovanniavoids Baglioni,afraidthat
the professor
may detecthis secretpassionfor Beatrice.However,
Baglionistopshim in the street,
warninghim thatRappaccinihas
takena sinister
interest
in him.When Giovannileaves,we discover
Baglioni's motivesare not simplybenevolent,but are instead a
complexmixtureof friendship,
envy,professional
rivalry,and fear
of Beatrice'sthreatto his academicchair: "'This mustnot be. . ..
The youthis the son of my old friend,and shall not come to any
harmfromwhichthe arcanaof medicalsciencecan preservehim.
in Rappaccini,thusto
an impertinence
Besides,it is too insufferable
snatchthelad out of myown hands,as I maysay,and makeuse of
IOI).
Beatrice Rappaccini
i6I
This daughterof his! It shall be
him forhis infernalexperiments.
mostlearnedRappaccini,I mayfoilyouwhere
lookedto.Perchance,
of Giovanni,
you littledreamof it!'" (pp. I07-I08). Possessive
in Rappaccini.
Baglioniobservesand fearsthe same possessiveness
arecorrectin makinghimavoidBaglioni,
The youngman'sinstincts
theRappaccinis.
forthelattermakesGiovannihistoolfordestroying
by Rappaccini,thenthe thoughtof a
If Baglionifeelsthreatened
superiorand displacinghim fromhis
womanbeinghis intellectual
To be outdoneby Rappaccini
positionmustbe doublyfrightening.
to be outdoneby Beatricewould be utterly
would be "insufferable";
disgraceful.
denunciationof the doctorat the
Thus, Baglioni'sself-righteous
veryend of the tale is not reallya moraljudgment,but primarily
of an academicianexposingthe errorof a
thegloatingsatisfaction
colleague."Baglioni . . . called loudly,in a toneof triumphmixed
withhorror,. . . 'Rappaccini!Rappaccini!And is thistheupshotof
yourexperiment?'"(p. I28). Why "mixedwithhorror"?Perhaps
we are to believeBaglionihas not anticipatedthatBeatricewould
die,onlythattheantidotewould thwartRappacciniby disenvenoming his daughter,thusreleasingher fromher father'scontrol.If
perhapshis knowledge
thedrug'seffect,
Baglionihas miscalculated
is notas greatas he pretends.Or perhapsBaglioni,like Rappaccini,
testingon Beatricea drug of whose
is conductingan experiment,
since
effecthe is unsure.Thus, the horrormay be inner-directed,
Baglioni'sfinalquestioncould be asked of himselfas well as of
Rappaccini.And if Baglioniknowsthe antidotewill be fatal,he is
a murderer.
withhis daughter,it
When considering
Rappaccini'srelationship
to look firstof all at thestory'stitle.While apparently
is important
creation;
itemphasizesthatBeatriceis herfather's
merelydescriptive,
his
unwitting
and
is
him,
on
shespringsfromhim.She is dependent
tool.We cannotjudge thedaughterwithoutlookingpastherto her
father.
man to judge,however,sinceso muchof
Rappacciniis a difficult
abouthimcomesthroughthedeeplybiasedBaglioni.
ourinformation
Baglioniis rightaboutcertainthings.Rappacciniis a
Nevertheless,
schemer;he does have sinisterplans for Giovanni. He is also
arrogant,ruthless,and cunning,but above all he is obsessedwith
power,the power to intimidateand the power to control.True,
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American Literature
Baglioniaccuseshimofsacrificing
"'human life,hisown amongthe
rest,or whateverelse was dearestto him,forthe sake of adding so
much as a grainof mustard-seed
to the greatheap of his accumu-
latedknowledge'"(pp. 99-IOO).
YetRappaccini's
statements
at the
end of thetale showclearlythatthisquestforknowledgeis in turn
to his need forpower.The exactnatureof his schemes
subservient
is unclear;are Giovanniand Beatriceto be his agentsin a play for
some sortof social or even politicalpower? However,Rappaccini
is a plotterand activator,
not a doer. Thereforehe needs Beatrice
as hisinstrument.
Rappacciniis gratified
whenhe learnsGiovanniis also envenomed,
so thathe and Beatricecan pass "'throughtheworld,mostdear to
one another,and dreadfulto all besides!'" (p. I27). Suspiciousand
isolatedhimself,
he cannotunderstand
whyhisdaughtermournsher
lonelinessand spurnsthepowerhis sciencehas givenher.Like Giovanniand Baglioni,he projectshis own selfishdesiresontoBeatrice,
and therefore
blamesher,nothimself,
when sherefusesto go along
withhis scheme."'What meanyou,foolishgirl?Dost thoudeemit
miserytobe endowedwithmarvellous
gifts,againstwhichno power
nor strength
could avail an enemy?Misery,to be able to quell the
mightiest
with a breath?. . . Wouldstthou,then,have preferred
theconditionof a weak woman,exposedto all evil,and capableof
none?' 'I would fain have been loved, not feared,'murmured
Beatrice"(p. I27).
ironicis Rappaccini'srhetorical
Supremely
questionaboutwhether
Beatricewould preferto be a "weak woman." By isolatingher,he
has keptherignorant,dependenton him,and therefore
weak. He
needsa weak daughter,
weak enoughto lethim experiment
on and
throughher. Moreover,althoughRappaccini claims the poison
will benefitBeatrice,it is reallya punishment.
He does not expose
himselfto it, afterall. We may assumethatif he approachesthe
plantwitha maskand heavygloves,he mustalso approachBeatrice
in the same cautious manner.His experimentshave created a
daughtertowardswhom his attitude,like Giovanni's,must be
essentially
fear,coveredby onlya "cunningsemblance"of love.The
powerRappaccinihas givenhis daughteris ultimately
forhis own
use,notforherprotection.
herpoisonmakeshervulnerIronically,
able to thepowerof theoutsideworldin a way Rappaccinihas not
anticipated.
Beatricemostneedsprotection
fromher father,who is
Beatrice Rappaccini
I63
her worstenemy,and the one personwhom his sciencecannot
fromharmingher.
prevent
the poisonin the naturesof Giovanni,Baglioni,and
Ultimately,
theirown fears,obsessions,ambitions,and
Rappaccinirepresents
unhealthydesires.The poison theysee (and fear) in Beatriceis
This idea is
actuallythe evil theycannotadmit is in themselves.
dramatizedby Rappaccini'sdeliberatepoisoningof his daughter,
an act which makesher dangerousto himselfand others.Having
poisonedher, theycannotbear the thoughtthat she may poison
(control,displace,rebel against) them. Even though each man
thatshe is an unwittingtool, each has psyknows,intellectually,
a target,
or a vehicle.
chologicalneedswhichmustfinda victim,
need to dominateand possessBeatrice;
Giovannihas a destructive
in his idea of
thisis precisely
thequalityhe findsmostthreatening
her.BaglioniimaginesBeatriceis aboutto make a conquestof his
academicchair;in fact,he desiresto scorea triumphoverRappaccini
by neutralizinghis daughter.He plans to discreditRappaccini's
himexperiments
equallyreprehensible
by performing
experiments
with poisonsare intendedto
self.Her father,whose experiments
makeothersfearhim,assumesBeatriceis also movedby a wish to
be feared.The poisonhe lovesand fearsin heris reallythedestructiveimpulsein his own being.All threemen are right,of course,in
each otherand evenfearingBeatrice.But theirsin liesin
mistrusting
theirenmityat
takingtheirrevengeon Beatrice,insteadof directing
eachotheror betterstill,tryingto heal themselves.
As I have said,themen'smotivesand thestory'smeaningdepend
a typicalmale role,
on Beatrice'sfemaleness.Each man represents
and the storyexamineshow men playingeach role mightfinda
tryto destroyher. Giowoman threatening,
and mighttherefore
yetfears
desiresher sexuality,
vanni,herloverand almost-husband,
its powerto dominateand destroyhim. Baglioni,her professional
position,triesto neutralize
rival,feelinginsecureabouthisuniversity
her energiesto woman'spropersphere,marriage.
her by diverting
Her fatherwantsherbeautifulenoughto win a husband,dependent
enoughto remainin his home,obedientenoughto do his bidding,
and compliantenoughto be moldedto his standards.None of these
as feelingthesesamefears,withthe
mencould havebeenportrayed
a
about man. Notice,for example,that Baglioni
same intensity,
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American Literature
withRappaccinialmostas a game,witha rather
viewshis struggles
tone.OnlywithBeatricedoeshe playforkeeps.
gentlemanly
And the fateof Beatriceanticipatesthe fatesof laterwomen in
in The Awakening,The Bell Jar,even in A Streetcar
literature,
Named Desire.Educatedfora lifeof sacrifice,
Beatricecan respond
to the irrationalfearsof men only with one more sacrifice.It is
unclearwhethershe knowsthatdrinkingtheantidotewill be fatal,
but the"peculiaremphasis"she putson thewords"'I will drinkbutdo thouawaittheresult'" (p. 126) indicatesthatshe suspectsit
will be deadlyand acceptsherdeathquitehappilywhilesavingGiovanni's life at the same time. The final ironyis the reversalof
Baglioni'sstoryof theIndian woman.As Hawthornesuggests,
one
mustlook beyondsuch femmesfatalesto the hommesfatalswho
make themdeadly.Giovanni,Rappaccini,even Baglioni,have professeda desireto help Beatrice,while secretly
fearingher "embrace
ofdeath."Consequently,
theyhaveembracedher-offeredherhelpin theirown selfish,vengeful,scientificways, and for her their
embracehasmeant-death.