Nathaniel Hawthorne-Rappacini's Daughter

 

Let's just say this story wasn't at all what I expected. I expected shall we say a more traditional example of Science Fiction. Especially from one of the earliest stories that are featured in this volume, but I was pleasantly surprised once I thought on this story for awhile after I read it and was able to full understand its themes, and it's use of language. I am one of those that find reading stories from the 1800's and before really difficult at least on the first try. 

In a way this story is the precursor the the popular Batman super villainess, Poison Ivy. Both Rappacini's Daughter and Ms. Ivy have a lot in common. Both have poison running through their veins as well as an affinity for the botanical. The tale is quite an interesting one where a father decided to perform a cruel experiment with it's roots dating as far back as the time of Alexander The Great, that detailed the use of poison being administered to a child right from birth. This according the legend when Alexander The Great was sent a present of a beautiful woman from an Indian prince. But with a catch. The present was walking, talking death. Since she was raised on poison she became a vessel for it, and would use her feminine wiles to lead poor souls to their death. 

But in Hawthorne's tale the woman with the poison blood is portrayed as a symphetic character not a sexy harbinger of doom. There is even reference to an antidote that could reverse the effects of the years of poison fed to young girl. There is a romantic vibe to the tale too. It is quite beautiful in it's approach with it's language, and even the way it describes the characters and situations in the story.

It is also a tragedy. The way that the story ends is something straight out of Shakespeare's greatest works. A man meets this beautiful woman. Discovers that she has been exposed to something horrible that has changed her in dangerous ways that make it impossible for her love anyone and he searches long and hard and finds what might be an antidote, and as soon as he gives it her and she drinks it she dies a horrible death in front of her father and the man that she loved. And adding even more drama is the character of Bogoloni who insists that Rappacini is performing mad experiments on not only his own daughter but on Giovanni as well. Giovanni doesn't believe him, so he takes matters into his own hands and creates the antidote for Giovanni to administer to Beatrice. Not only is Giovanni devastated by Beatrice's demise but doubly so for Bogolini who finally beat Rappacini at his own game but the victory is bittersweet due to the unfortunate death of poor Beatrice. 

It seems that this story is a cautionary tale of doomed love and the cost of revenge. Tropes that would continue to be used for decades after this story was published and for years since.