Symbol. A symbol is a thing that stands for or represents both itself and something else. Many critics have pointed out that Nathaniel Hawthorne shared a Puritan preoccupation with good and evil. As you read the story, look for elements that might symbolize good and evil.
Allusion. An allusion is a rhetorical technique in which reference is made to a person, event, object, or work from history or literature. Hawthorne uses several allusions in this story.
Fantasy. A fantasy is a literary work that contains highly unrealistic elements.
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In 1842, Nathaniel Hawthorne and his wife moved to Emerson’s former home, The Old Manse, in Concord, Massachusetts. During the following four years, Hawthorne produced many of his finest stories, publishing them individually in magazines or in the collections Twice-Told Tales and Mosses from an Old Manse.
“Rappaccini’s Daughter” was first published in December 1844, in the Democratic Review, with a mock-autobiographical introduction. The story shows many of Hawthorne’s characteristic traits, including strong use of symbolism, a psychological approach, and a focus on the Puritan preoccupation with evil. His skillful working of such elements demonstrates why he is credited, along with Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe, with the development of the modern short story.
Use a graphic organizer like the one below to make a radiating circle of fantastic elements that you find in “Rappaccini’s Daughter.”
How can you tell whether a friend is a bad influence or someone you can trust?
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