The Fatal Consequences of Obsessive Love in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Rappaccini's Daughter"

"'Rappaccini's Daughter' is generally regarded as one of Hawthorne's best stories" (Adams 171). The story centers around a young man who innocently falls in love with a poisoned girl. The girl's father, a typical Hawthorne character, is an obssessive scientist who puts his work above all. Snipes states that Hawthorne is known for suggesting that "the scientist in his intellectual pride might destroy the natural blessings that God has provided" (1898). Although the scientist and his malice serves as a basis for the story's theme, Giovanni's love for Beatrice is a more significant theme. It suggests that when infatuated by love, one's perception of good and evil can become distorted, if not fatal.
The plot of "Rappaccini's Daughter" centers on a young man's forbidden love for a poisonous scientist's daughter. The story begins with the protagonist, Giovanni Guasconti, moving to Padua to attend the university. His room had a window that overlooked a beautiful ancient garden. ...