Since generations, society has held gender expectations. They have created an image for what a female identity should look and feel like. In the 1800s, women were often portrayed as domestic caretakers. This was their only purpose. Nathaniel Hawthorne writes often in this vein, but with other intentions. His writing exaggerates women’s inferiority to mock the common belief that men are the dominant. Hawthorne mocks nineteenth-century male superiority by focusing on female expectations in “Rappaccini’s Daughter”.
Rappaccini is immediately introduced as an intelligent scientist who deserves to be respected and feared. Baglioni says that he “cares infinitely for science more than for humanity” (Hawthorne 4). Beatrice Rappaccini is Rappaccini’s only friend. He uses his daughter Beatrice as an experiment, even though he shares the same passion for botany with her father. Beatrice was never considered a human by Rappaccini, who placed his passion for scientific research above Beatrice. Rappaccini is not afraid to “sacrifice a human life to add so many grains of mustard seed as his accumulated wisdom” (Hawthorne 4) Beatrice is objectified by Rappaccini, who takes away her desires in order to get his adoration. He injects poison into her body, making it impossible for her to care for and touch plants. Rappaccini seizes her love and takes away all the human qualities she has. This dynamic between Beatrice, Rappaccini is created by Hawthorne to illustrate the effect that women are viewed as housewives. Hawthorne believes women have greater potential than men if given free will. Beatrice, on the other hand, must learn from her past experiences. Giovanni, an educated man from Padua, had his first conversation about Beatrice. He mentioned speculations that he had heard about Beatrice’s gardening skills. Giovanni asked for her to help him, and she said that “I would prove a better scholar under Signorrappaccini.” Beatrice, however, was not given formal education like her father. Beatrice never received formal education from her father. Rappaccini used Beatrice in order to advance his academic career. But he never imagined that Beatrice might have an interest learning. Giovanni responds to Beatrice, “though I have been raised among these flowers,” (Hawthorne 11). She never knew more about flowers than she could perceive from her environment. She dedicated her entire life to gardening, but she didn’t learn anything from other than her own observations.
Beatrice’s ignorance shows the men’s drive to eliminate women. Hawthorne employs sexism throughout to emphasise the social difference between men and women. Rappaccini did not see Beatrice with the same intentions as her, and she neglected to give her the education that would make her a complete person.
Beatrice is seen as Giovanni’s only target of sex from the very beginning. Giovanni sees her as a beautiful, mysterious woman who is hiding something. Giovanni’s first observations describe Beatrice as “more beautiful than most flowers” (Hawthorne 3) Giovanni only knows Beatrice from this point on, and is disillusioned at her overwhelming presence. He attempts to portray her through what he hears and sees, but never discovers her true nature. The narrative is mostly based on speculations regarding her potential evil nature. However, Beatrice is shown to be the only character who is genuine good-hearted. Giovanni finally demands that Giovanni and Beatrice take Baglioni’s antidote “thus be purified of evil” (Hawthorne 19,). Beatrice agrees quickly and demands to be the first to receive Baglioni’s antidote. Her death is unavoidable because she was given the antidote, which demonstrates the impact of her story’s men. Giovanni pressured her into eating the antidote to make her the focus of his imagination. Hawthorne depicts men’s need to manipulate women in order to get their way. Women were often seen as accessories in men’s lives during the nineteenth century.
Nathaniel Hawthorne discredits the notion that female inferiority is by exaggerating male expectations. Rappacinni fails to see Beatrice beyond an experiment and reveals the male desire that women be deprived of their free will. Beatrice’s inability to get an education is another example of the limitations women had in the nineteenth-century. Beatrice’s death from the fatal antidote symbolizes men manipulating women to follow their wishes. Although Hawthorne may seem sexist in his tone, he was an innovator in the movement to treat women as individuals.
Comments are closed.