Love Theme in Rappaccini’s daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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“When love is not madness, it is not love” –said Pedro Calderon de la Barca, a dramatist. These words by Pedro Barca contribute to the theme of the short novella “Rappaccini’s daughter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. These words represent Hawthorne’s implied message because through out the story the feelings exchanged between the two main characters; Giovanni, and Beatrice has been nothing but madness. The reason this story has been madness is because the many turn of events that lead up to one of the most ultimate pains, losing the one people care about the most. Also this story persuades the idea that love is love even if it does not follow the qualities of a socially realistic ideal meaning of love. This book supports a different kind of affection because throughout the story it was love between a two individuals. Beatrice, the main character of this story is half flower because her father is devoted to science and research so she is the result of his scientific research. All throughout their relationship with their different circumstances according to society, and their love was genuine even though their image is different. The exchanges between Giovanni and Beatrice begin as simple lust and no deep emotional understanding and attachment, yet drastically changes to true love and an emotional attachment they have for each other due to the recent communications they have developed. The author’s message about love is that it does not always end in a happy ending and that love comes in many different forms.

Giovanni shows interest in Beatrice only for her pure physical assets and body language and starts to truly fall in love with this divine young creature. Giovanni’s feelings for Beatrice at the beginning of the story are vivid and de...

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...this far-fetched setting but the overall theme is in real life. Love is a necessity in everyone’s life to feel like a hole and sometimes people get mixed up between love and lust. Through out the story the author focused on Giovanni’s point of view and mostly his thinking process. The emotional exchanges between Giovanni and Beatrice start as two variables, which are simply, and pure attraction and they have no deep understanding for each other. Later on in the story, the changes of true love and an emotional attachment due to more communication. The author’s message is straightforward and was about love being complicated and comes in many different forms and in some cases does not always have a happy ending. The end result of Giovanni and Beatrice’s odd relationship and circumstances led to the understanding that love is sweet and in some cases love becomes bitter.

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