Rappaccini's Daughter Story Theme of Love and Parenting

The theme of the short story Rappaccini's Daughter is quite obvious. The story is a fantasy. The possible themes are given below.

Rappaccini's Daughter theme of Love

The story revolves around the love of a father for his daughter and the love of a girl for a boy. The love is a fascinating state that takes hold of the mind of the lover and beloved and they live in a fantasy world where there is a flood of love and sentiments. The story shows us how a young girl, Beatrice, lay her life for her love. The love wins but it costs two lives for this. Giovanni knows that Beatrice is poisoned. He knows that touching her means death to him. Yet, love makes him meet her. He becomes infected the poisons and becomes poisonous too. Beatrice too crosses the limits in the passion. She drinks the antidot to prove her innocence to Giovanni. She dies and Giovanni, knowing well what it would do, drinks the same antidote. The love ends in what it often ends in. Now love has taken two innocent lives. The writer wants to cast a message that love is really blind. Love will make you embrace snakes. Love will make you drink poisons and you will drink it proudly. That is what is called the love theme of the story.

The theme of the story Parenting

One can easily realize the power of intoxication of knowledge and science. The man can do anything if he has the only objective to become famous and powerful. The story shows us the dark sides of science and modernity. In order to secure worldly fame and name, parents can sacrifice their parental sentiments. Rappaccini in the story is the symbol of corrupted versions of the natural order.  The craze and lust for fame destroy the life of his own daughter. He is too possessed by his wicked research project to become a good father. Parenting is not mare a relation. It demands many things from both sides. Parents give sacrifices for their children. Beatrice is the story is the symbol of innocence which is being exploited by many dangerous minds like that of Rappaccini.  It is surprising that the plant, which seemed so poisonous to Rappaccini, would not harm Beatrice, her daughter. We find that Beatrice has a special relationship with poison. She can embrace deadly plant and call it her sister without being harmed. Her father does not comment on her affectionate touches to the poisonous plants just because he wants some other outcomes. Instead of keeping his daughter safe, he gives her instructions like he would give to his research assistant.

More notes on Rappaccini's Daughter

1. Rappaccini's Daughter Questions answers
2. Summary of the story Rappaccini's Daughter
3. Short questions answers of the Story

More Short Stories:

1. The Killers
2. The New Constitution
3. Breakfast
4. Take Pity
5. Happy Prince
6. Araby
7. The Tell-tale Heart
8. The Necklace

All Short Stories Notes for BA