John Smith Prof. C. Simmons English 227 30 January 2014 Gothic Imagery in Hawthorne’s Rappaccini’s Daughter The word “gothic” gives a connotation of gloom, despair, and the decay of time. The grotesque and horrifying are used in Gothic literature for atmosphere, foreshadowing, and symbolism. Nathaniel Hawthorne is an early American example of a writer of Gothic tales. In “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” Hawthorne uses Gothic conventions to tell a story of dual natures and doomed love. In the opening scene, Giovanni, a university student and the hero of our tale, is shown to his new lodgings in Padua. Here Hawthorne utilizes two Gothic conventions to create a grim sense of foreshadowing: the ancient, ruined building, and the mysterious old woman. Giovanni’s lodgings are in a “high and gloomy chamber of an old edifice which looked not unworthy to have been the palace of a Paduan noble” (Hawthorne 178). He is reminded of Dante’s Inferno, and imagines that a member of this ancient household “[partook] of the immortal agonies” described in the poem (178). This foreshadows the “agonies” of Giovanni’s love for Beatrice, the heroine. Giovanni is with his new landlady, a strange and vaguely superstitious woman named “dame” Lisabetta. She makes frequent reference to the Virgin and the Saints, and directs Giovanni to the view of Dr. Rappaccini’s herb garden. She tells Giovanni that he may see Rappaccini and his daughter at work in the garden, cultivating plants that “are as potent as a charm” (179). Later in the story, Lisabetta is the means by which Giovanni and Rappaccini’s daughter Beatrice meet clandestinely in the deadly garden (187). The garden itself is the scene of the majority of Hawthorne’s Gothic symbolism and foreshadowing. It is dominated by “the ruin of a marble fountain in the centre, sculptured with rare art, but so woefully shattered that it was impossible to trace the original design from the chaos of the remaining fragments” (179). The fountain is beautiful, “rare,” and destroyed. It is a symbol for the dual nature of the garden itself, with its beautiful, deadly flowers; for Beatrice Rappaccini, who is beautiful, but literally poisonous; and the love/obsession Giovanni has for Beatrice, which is beautiful, but kills. In the end, the Gothic tone of Hawthorne’s “Rappaccini’s Daughter” portrays the dual nature of love and obsession in the story. Hawthorne brilliantly displays symbolism and foreshadowing as techniques by which an author can show the deeper meaning of surface imagery. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “Rappacini’s Daughter.” The Art of the Short Story. Ed. Wendy Martin. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. 178-197. Print. How to Write about Literature If you wish to write well about literature, you must keep in mind the following: Clearly articulate a main point. Main Points in Paragraphs In a short writing of only one paragraph this main point is called a topic sentence and it should us.

1. John Smith
Prof. C. Simmons
English 227
30 January 2014
Gothic Imagery in Hawthorne’s Rappaccini’s Daughter
The word “gothic” gives a connotation of gloom, despair,
and the decay of time. The grotesque and horrifying are used in
Gothic literature for atmosphere, foreshadowing, and
symbolism. Nathaniel Hawthorne is an early American example
of a writer of Gothic tales. In “Rappaccini’s Daughter,”
Hawthorne uses Gothic conventions to tell a story of dual
natures and doomed love.
In the opening scene, Giovanni, a university student and
the hero of our tale, is shown to his new lodgings in Padua.
Here Hawthorne utilizes two Gothic conventions to create a
grim sense of foreshadowing: the ancient, ruined building, and
the mysterious old woman. Giovanni’s lodgings are in a “high
and gloomy chamber of an old edifice which looked not
unworthy to have been the palace of a Paduan noble”
(Hawthorne 178). He is reminded of Dante’s Inferno, and
imagines that a member of this ancient household “[partook] of
the immortal agonies” described in the poem (178). This
foreshadows the “agonies” of Giovanni’s love for Beatrice, the
heroine. Giovanni is with his new landlady, a strange and
vaguely superstitious woman named “dame” Lisabetta. She
makes frequent reference to the Virgin and the Saints, and
directs Giovanni to the view of Dr. Rappaccini’s herb garden.
She tells Giovanni that he may see Rappaccini and his daughter
at work in the garden, cultivating plants that “are as potent as a
charm” (179). Later in the story, Lisabetta is the means by
which Giovanni and Rappaccini’s daughter Beatrice meet
clandestinely in the deadly garden (187).
The garden itself is the scene of the majority of

2. Hawthorne’s Gothic symbolism and foreshadowing. It is
dominated by “the ruin of a marble fountain in the centre,
sculptured with rare art, but so woefully shattered that it was
impossible to trace the original design from the chaos of the
remaining fragments” (179). The fountain is beautiful, “rare,”
and destroyed. It is a symbol for the dual nature of the garden
itself, with its beautiful, deadly flowers; for Beatrice
Rappaccini, who is beautiful, but literally poisonous; and the
love/obsession Giovanni has for Beatrice, which is beautiful,
but kills.
In the end, the Gothic tone of Hawthorne’s “Rappaccini’s
Daughter” portrays the dual nature of love and obsession in the
story. Hawthorne brilliantly displays symbolism and
foreshadowing as techniques by which an author can show the
deeper meaning of surface imagery.
Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “Rappacini’s Daughter.” The Art of the
Short Story. Ed. Wendy Martin.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. 178-197. Print.

3. How to Write about Literature
If you wish to write well about literature, you must keep in
mind the following:
Clearly articulate a main point.
Main Points in Paragraphs
In a short writing of only one paragraph this main point is
called a topic sentence and it should usually come at the
beginning of the paragraph as in this example from an analysis
of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye (adapted from
http://www.goshen.edu/english/litanalysis.html). The topic
sentence is highlighted.
In the character of Pauline, Morrison shows an example of the
destructive effect of African Americans’ measuring their
appearance against a white standard. Pauline believes in the
possibility of movie images. She describes doing her hair like
Jean Harlow's and eating candy at a movie. But rather than
being transported into the romantic heaven of Hollywood, she
loses a tooth and ends in despair. "Everything went then. Look
like I just didn't care no more after that. I let my hair go back,
plaited it up, and settled down to just being ugly" (123).
Admiring beauty in another is one thing; transferring a sense of
self-hatred when a person doesn't measure up is another. At that
point, the power of white beauty standards becomes very
destructive.
Note that the topic sentence is the first sentence of the
paragraph (usually the best place to put it) and that it announces
the main idea of the paragraph. It functions as a steering wheel,
pointing the paragraph in one direction. Without topic

4. sentences at the beginning of their paragraphs, writers often go
astray, trying to prove multiple points in one paragraph.
Remember, a paragraph should be about just one point and it
should be fully supported with evidence from the text.
Main Points in Papers
In a longer paper of multiple paragraphs, the main point is
usually called a thesis, and the best place for it is at the end of
your introduction. Don’t forget that all longer papers need at
least three parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
The jobs of the introduction are to get the reader’s attention, to
contextualize the topic at hand, and then to tell the reader
precisely what idea he/she is going to prove or demonstrate.
Here’s a sample introduction. The thesis is in bold.
William Butler Yeats wrote two poems which are together
known as the Byzantium series. The first is "Sailing to
Byzantium," and its sequel is simply named "Byzantium." The
former is considered the easier of the two to understand. It
contains multiple meanings and emotions, and the poet uses
various literary devices to communicate them. Two of the most
dominant themes of this poem are the desire for escape from the
hardships of this world and the quest for immortality. These are
circumstances of the poet's life that influenced the composition
of the poem. Those personal experiences and Yeats's skillful use
of words come together to emphasize the need, or at least
desire, that many people have for escape and immortality.
Here, the thesis tells readers that this paper will be about
Yeats’s use of his personal experiences and his words to
demonstrate how much we all long for escape from the world of
the here and now.
Again the thesis serves as a steering wheel, pointing the entire

5. paper this time. Then, in the paragraphs that follow, the writer
will provide the evidence to prove her thesis. Each of her body
paragraphs will need a topic sentence of its own, one that points
back to the thesis and helps to prove it.
To see what I mean, scroll down to see a simple model or shell
of a paper.
Title
Introduction – It can be one paragraph or more than one
paragraph but it should begin by getting the reader’s attention,
then orient the reader to the topic, and provide a thesis. Here’s
a possible thesis with which you might conclude an introduction
on a paper about Charlotte’s Web.
Thesis: In Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White illustrates the power of
spoken and written language and the benefits of being well
versed in both.
Body – The body of the paper will be multiple paragraphs long.
Each body paragraph should begin with a topic sentence and
prove that topic sentence fully with evidence taken directly
from the text. Possible topic sentences for the above paper
about Charlotte’s Web might include:
Topic Sentence 1: The power of the spoken word is
demonstrated early in the book by Fern. (Then, this paragraph
might describe how Fern talks her father into letting her save
Wilbur’s life – how language can save a life!)
Topic Sentence 2: The power of the written word is evidenced
by the effect that the words in Charlotte’s web have on the
human characters in the novel. (These words, again, save
Wilbur’s life.)

6. Topic Sentence 3: The power of the written word is also
evidence by the effect that the words in Charlotte’s web have on
Wilbur. (These words cause Wilbur to think of himself
differently and more positively.)
Conclusion – In the conclusion, it’s often wise to repeat your
thesis and try to exit gracefully without introducing any new
ideas.
Avoid summarizing.
Don’t retell the story or poem. If you find yourself listing
things in the same order that they were listed in the original
book, story, or poem, then you can be fairly certain that you’re
summarizing. Rather than summarizing, you need to make a
clear point about what you’ve read and then prove that point by
supplying evidence from the text.
Don’t do this: Fern sees that her dad has an ax, and she asks
him what he’s doing. He says he’s going to kill a runt pig.
Fern objects. She grabs the ax and asks him if would kill her if
she had been born a runt. Mr. Avery is moved by her words and
decides not to kill Wilbur. Fern gets to keep the pig (White 2).
Do do this: The power of the spoken word is demonstrated
early in the book by Fern. She uses language to change her
father’s course of action. When Mr. Avery decides to kill a runt
pig she asks him if he would have also killed her had she been a
runt (White 2). With her words, Fern builds a powerful
connection – that the little pig is somehow like her, a small
thing in need of protection. Once that connection has been
built, Mr. Avery is no longer able to hurt the pig because it
would be tantamount to hurting his own daughter. Fern’s
choice of words saves the day.

7. Notice how this second passages does very little retelling of
the story – instead it begins with a topic sentence (something to
prove), provides evidence, and analyzes that evidence to
illustrate how it proves the topic sentence.
Use plenty of detailed evidence from the text to prove your
points.
When writing about literature, you will do a LOT of quoting –
often very short quotes (called snatch quotes), like this:
The importance of friendship, which Charlotte calls a
“tremendous thing” (White 33), is emphasized throughout the
book, and the forging of friendships is shown to take place in
language.
Sometimes you will use slightly longer quotes, like this:
Charlotte directly identifies the power that the written word has
over people when she says, “People believe almost anything
they see in print” (White 43).
And once in a while, you may need a very long quote (of 4 or
more lines), like this (taken from the Purdue OWL website /
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/04/:
Nelly Dean treats Heathcliff poorly and dehumanizes him
throughout her narration:
They entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in
their room, and I had no more sense, so, I put it on the landing
of the stairs, hoping it would be gone on the morrow. By
chance, or else attracted by hearing his voice, it crept to Mr.
Earnshaw’s door, and there he found it on quitting his chamber.
Inquiries were made as to how it got there; I was obliged to
confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity
was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78)

8. Note that when using a long quote, you do not use quotation
marks. Instead, you indent 10 spaces on the left. You double
space straight through.
Always introduce a quote and contextualize it.
Never string two or more quotes together. You should comment
on quotes and explain how they illustrate your point.
When using evidence from a text, don’t forget to document.
You need to give the page numbers from which your evidence
comes – even if the evidence is paraphrased, not quoted. Study
the examples above for information about how to document
correctly. In a nutshell, you should use the author’s last name
and the page number. For short quotes, the end punctuation will
come AFTER the final parenthesis, not before.
Incorrect: Charlotte directly identifies the power that the
written word has over people when she says, “People believe
almost anything they see in print.” (White 43)
Correct: Charlotte directly identifies the power that the written
word has over people when she says, “People believe almost
anything they see in print” (White 43).
For long quotes, of 4 or more lines, the end punctuation will
come BEFORE the parenthesis, like this:
… confess, and in recompense for my cowardice and inhumanity
was sent out of the house. (Bronte 78)
If the text you’re using is one that’s assigned for class, using
the author’s last name and page number is sufficient. If it’s
very clear who the author is and you’re dealing with only one
text, you needn’t use the author’s last name. The page number

9. will suffice.
If you’re using an outside text or source (one not assigned as
reading for this class), you will need to document fully and
correctly using MLA style. That means you’ll need both
parenthetical citations (author’s name and page number in
parenthesis) and a works cited page. See the Purdue OWL
website for guidelines:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/
Please be very careful to avoid plagiarism. Do not, under any
circumstances, use passages or clusters of words that are not
your own UNLESS you give proper credit to the original author.
When writing about literature, use the present tense.
A literary analysis is typically written in the present tense. Not
“Fern carried the pig to the barn,” but “Fern carries the pig to
the barn.”
Avoid the first and second person.
In most cases, literary analyses should not include the use of
“you” (second person) and “I” (first person) – unless your
instructor specifies otherwise.
Incorrect: I will argue that White’s book is about the power of
language.
Correct: White’s book is about the power of language.
Incorrect: It’s important that you understand the significance of
Fern’s choice.
Correct: The significance of Fern’s choice must be explained.
Don’t say you’re going to do it; just do it!

10. Do your best to conceal the mechanics of writing.
Incorrect: I will show that Fern loses her imagination as she
grows.
Correct: Fern loses her imagination as she grows.
Incorrect: This paper will reveal that adults and children see
the world differently.
Correct: Adults and children see the world differently.
POINTS
COMMENTS
Unity
Does the paper have a strong thesis sentence?
Do body paragraphs have strong main ideas – implied or stated?
Is all material on track in support of thesis/main ideas?
20
Support
Are the ideas in the paper well supported with plenty of detailed
evidence?Have you avoided unnecessary summarizing in favor
of careful selection of targeted evidence?Is all evidence
adequately explained and analyzed?
30
Coherence
Does the paper have logical structure – an intro, body, and
conclusion?Is info inside paragraphs properly organized (like

11. ideas clustered together, etc)?Has the writer successfully
transitioned from one idea to the next?
20
Sentence Skills
Has the writer used good grammar and punctuation?
15
Documentation/Style
Has the writer made correct use of MLA style? Has the writer
successfully paraphrased and quoted?
Has the writer integrated source material smoothly?
15