Two Mad Scientists: a Comparison of Hawthorne’s Short Stories “the Birthmark” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter”

Contents Contents2 1. Introduction3 2. A Comparison of Hawthornes Short Stories The Birthmark and3 Rappaccinis Daughter3 3. 1 The Role of the Scientist3 3. 2 The Role of the Wife and daughter4 3. 3 Nature vs. Science5 3. Conclusion6 Works Cited7 frankly Declaration8 1. Introduction In the main part of the following paper with the topic Two ghastly Scientists A Comparison of Nathaniel Hawthornes Short Stories The Birthmark and Rappaccinis Daughter I will offer a comparison of selected aspects, since the space is limited.First of all I will focus on on the comparison between Aylmer, the scientist which is presented in Hawthornes short story The Birthmark, and Giacomo Rappaccini, the scientist appearing in Rappaccinis Daughter. what is more I will give a comparison of both of the female characters, which ar the victims of the scientists. On the one hand there is Georgiana, Aylmers wife, and on the former(a) hand there is Beatrice Rappacini, the daughter of Giacomo Rappaccini.After I named similarities, as nearly as differences between the dickens scientists and as well between their wife and daughter, I will concentrate on the symbols nature and science and how they ar represented as contrasts within the deuce short stories. A Symbol in discussing literature is defined as a word or phrase that signifies an object or event which in its turn signifies something, or suggests a range of reference, beyond itself. Thus symbols fag give the reader a deeper impression of the meaning of the short story and that is steering I chose to focus on two of the main symbols within Hawthornes short stories.At the finish of the following paper I will give a conclusion, which summarizes the most pregnant facts and also evaluates the aspects of the main part. 2. A Comparison of Hawthornes Short Stories The Birthmark and Rappaccinis Daughter 2. 1 The Role of the Scientist The two scientists Aylmer and Rappaccini, which both be main characters in Hawthornes short stories The Birthmark and Rappaccinis Daughter, have several qualities in common. Both of them are presented as god-like scientists and very successful.Aylmer is described as an eminent proficient in every classify of natural philosophy and also Rappaccini is said to be a famous doctor and absolutely skilled in his profession. Either one of them is striving later perfection concerning their wifes and daughters strike. Aylmer married a beautiful woman who has a hand-shaped birthmark on her left cheek, which bothers him so overmuch that Aylmer wants to remove his wifes birthmark. In his eyes the birthmark is the visible mark of earthly imperfection and also the only defect of his wife, who came so to the highest degree perfect from the hand of Nature.Therefore he wants to remove it with the help of scientific methods to take hold his wife, who actually likes the birthmark, perfect. Also Dr. Rappaccini uses his scientific skills to make his daughter, in his eyes, an object of perfection. therefrom they both have the plan to create a consummate human being with the help of science. In addition both of them make someone who is important to them their object of scientific impact on nature. Aylmer risks his wifes life by removing her birthmark while Dr. Rappaccini doesnt care if his daughter is happy with the way of life which he has chosen for her to live.Both of the scientists, Aylmer as well as Dr. Rappaccini, have to learn at the end of the short stories that their beloved wife and daughter remunerative their husbands and fathers scientific obsession with their lives. However, despite the many similarities between Aylmer and Dr. Rappaccini, there are also a few polar differences. While Aylmer wants to make his wife a perfect human being by removing her symbol of imperfection, Dr. Rappaccini uses at first his only his daughter as a subject for his scientific experiment and later on he even uses a stranger for his trial, without concerning whether it could harm hi m or not.Another difference between the two scientists is the way they want to change or impact something. Aylmer wants to remove something which is already existent, his wifes birthmark. In contrast, Dr. Rappaccini modified his daughter with the help of scientific methods from the importee she was born when he connected her life to the poisonous shrub in his garden. 2. 1 The Role of the Wife and Daughter Just like the two scientists, the two female characters have several similarities to offer. Both, Georgiana and Beatrice are beautiful women which became victims of the scientific obsession of their husband and father.Georgiana is described as a beautiful woman and also Beatrice is characterized as a young girl, arrayed with as much richness of taste as the most splendid of the flowers, beautiful as the day. After their description of beauty and pureness their mistake is revealed. Georgiana carries a hand-shaped birthmark on her cheek, which was loved and cherished by her former lovers, envied by other women but hated by her stimulate husband. Also Beatrices dark character treats are revealed when the young Giovanni Guasconti observed her poisonous breath and her relationship to the mysterious shrub.Thus Beatrice can be compared to the flowers in Dr. Rappaccinis garden she is beautiful but poisoned. At the end of the short stories both of the young females die and their former beauty and perfection are destroyed. While Georgiana dies after her husband tried to remove her birthmark, Beatrice dies after she drank an antidote, which was given to her by Giovanni Guasconti, to free herself out of her fathers scientific experiments. Beside the many similarities there are also a few differences between Georgiana and Beatrice which are revealed throughout the story line.Aylmers wife Georgiana is changed by the scientific actions of her husband in the course of the short story. In comparison to Georgiana, Beatrices scientific change is performed from the moment she was born by the sprouting of the shrub in her fathers garden, which symbolizes the offspring of his science, of his intellect. concord to this, Georgianas appearance is natural until the moment when Aylmer tries to remove the birthmark, but Beatrice is changed by science since she was born. Nature vs. ScienceIn both of Hawthornes short stories the symbols of nature as well as science play a decisive role. In The Birthmark science is symbolized by the scientist Aylmer, who is satisfactory to produce all kinds of scientific perfumes and liquids is not able to control his wifes nature. Nature is symbolized by Georgianas natural beauty and of course by her birthmark which also symbolizes the mightiness of nature. In the end science fails to control nature with the result of Georgianas death and Aylmers unhappiness after he has lost his beloved wife.In Rappaccinis Daughter Dr. Rappaccinis garden symbolizes nature on the one hand and science on the other hand at the same time. All the numerous and beautiful flowers are linked to nature at the first glance but, when their poisonousness is revealed, the connection to science is made instantly. Rappaccini uses his garden and also his daughter to embody his scientific powers and to achieve his individualised goals. Just as in The Birthmark science is not able to control nature. In the end Dr.Rappaccinis poisoned daughter dies after she tried to contest science by drinking an antidote. 3. Conclusion As it emerges of my paper about the comparison of Nathaniel Hawthornes short stories The Birthmark and Rappaccinis Daughter, there are numerous aspects between Aylmer and Dr. Rappaccini, as well as between Georgiana and Beatrice, which can be seen as very similar and also aspects which are completely diverse from one another. Another very important aspect which I analyzed throughout the composition of my paper, are the two symbols nature and science.Even today there are lots of discussions about the change of nature by science. A current example for this is pre-implantation diagnostics, a procedure in which embryos are produced by in-vitro fertilization to make sure they dont suffer from a genetic disease before the embryos are implanted in the uterus. This topic leads to controversial discussions because the embryos which arent utilise after the examination are thrown out. In addition pre-implantation diagnostics is a current example of science trying to control nature.Even if the result sometimes is not perfect, nature should be allowed to run its course. 1,383 words Works Cited Abrams, M. H. A colour of Literary Terms. Boston Thomson, 2005. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Mosses from an Old Manse. Cambridge Riverside Press, 1900. 48-78. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Mosses from an Old Manse. Cambridge Riverside Press, 1900. 125-178 Honestly Declaration I hereby declare that the work submitted is my own and that all passages and ideas that are not mine have been fully and properly acknowledged.I am mindful tha t I will fail the entire course should I include passages and ideas from other sources and present them as if they were my own. - Signature Date 1 . Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. p. 320. 2 . Hawthorne, N. Mosses from an Old Manse. p. 36. 3 . (ibid. 129) 4 . (ibid. 37) 5 . (ibid. ) 6 . (ibid. ) 7 . (ibid. 39) 8 . (ibid. 133) 9 . (ibid. 38) 10 . (ibid. 141,42) 11 . (ibid. 171) 12 . (ibid. 56)