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The central theme of Hawthorne’s “Rappaccini’s Daughter” has long been debated. For one, the story can be viewed as a criticism of the sciences and the rational, which Romantics denounce in favor of the emotional and irrational. An example throughout the story is the sinful portrayal of Doctor Rappaccini and Baglioni as manipulators and how Giovanni’s passions, love at first then rage, override his rational thinking. Another possibility for the central theme of this story is that every human is dualistic, which is consistent with Romanticism and its focus on the nature of human existence. Beatrice is pure on the inside but poisonous on the outside. Giovanni is portrayed as loving yet doubtful at the same time. Rappaccini is a man that possesses little caring for anything other than his scientific experiments and perverted ethics, that is if he has any, but is portrayed in the end as being somewhat sympathetic towards his daughter’s loneliness. To provide for his daughter a companion Rappaccini lured the unsuspecting Giovanni into the garden and rendered him poisonous, just like Beatrice. Baglioni is presented as a jovial man and one who is willing to help a friend in danger. However, he is scientist himself and it can be argued that he also manipulated unknowing Giovanni into giving the antidote to Beatrice and thus ruining his rival’s experiment. Also one can interpret the story as a love story and with the main theme being that true love is based upon wholehearted faith. Since Giovanni was always plagued with doubt concerning his relationship with Beatrice, their love could never have flourished and was bound to fall apart eventually. Sincerity and spontaneity are valued in Romanticism while conversely doubt is denounced. The ambiguity and the multiple perspectives at which it can be approached from is itself tied to the Romantic value of individualism. With this story every person can interpret it in their own unique way.

A common Romantic literary device is allegory. Underneath the surface plot of “Rappaccini’s Daughter” the objects within the story and the characters’ actions have a certain significance that relates to the overall theme of the story like the physical portrayal of Rappaccini, certain objects like the fountain and the bush, Giovanni’s actions, and so on. For a full analysis refer to the other posts.

The plot diagram structure of the story works to engage the reader so as to best convey the thematic message and it is itself a medium to convey Romantic ideals. “Rappaccini’s Daughter” starts out with a lengthy exposition that consists of a highly detailed description of the garden working to establish the setting of the plot. The setting is an important factor that contributes to the overall tone of the story and the emotional response from the reader, which is important in Romanticism where the emotions are strongly stressed. Also an in depth exposition helps to draw the attention of the reader, which is a definite requirement if the author wishes to convey anything at all, and put them mentally in the scene. Following the exposition we have the protracted rising action where Giovanni is conflicted over his love of Beatrice. A slow buildup towards the climax works to draw the reader further into the story with a growing sense of suspense. Then suddenly the climax flashes into the reader’s mind as “Giovanni’s rage broke forth…like a lightning-flash” (Hawthorne 13). The sudden transition from rising action to the climax reflects the value that Romanticism places on spontaneity and works to almost wake up the reader so that he or she is more alert to take in whatever comes next. Next is the falling action which is characteristically uneventful and works mainly as a transition from the climax to the resolution. Lastly there is the resolution where the author purposely leaves out details concerning what happens to the characters after the death of Beatrice. The purpose behind such an ambiguous ending is to let the reader’s imagination, which is a central theme of Romanticism, wander.