“Rappaccini’s Daughter”
by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
• 1804-1864
•Many of his stories focus on the history of America
(specifically the Puritan era, the social and psychological
issues that underlie people’s behavior, heavy use of symbols,
a concentration on the darker side of human behavior, and
themes such as isolation, obsession and paranoia, guilt, social
reform, and redemption.
•Married and moved to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s grandparents’
old house in Concord, Mass. Thoreau provided a garden.
•“RD” first published in the United States Magazine and
Democratic Review in 1844
Discussion Questions
1. What is the setting of the story? What is the
significance of the setting?
2. Does Giovanni really love Beatrice?
3. Does Rappaccini poison Giovanni out of love for
Beatrice or for some other reason?
4. Does Rappaccini really love his daughter?
5. Why does Baglioni give Giovanni the “antidote”?
6. How is Beatrice portrayed in this story? Is she symbolic
of anything?
7. What are some themes in this story?
Topics for Writing
1. How do symbol and allusion function in the
story? (Genesis, Divine Comedy)
2. What drives Rappaccini to act as he does?
3. What drives Giovanni to act as he does?
4. What drives Beatrice to act as she does?
5. Does Giovanni really love Beatrice?
6. How is the setting significant?
7. Does this story completely condemn scientific
progress?