Rappaccini's Daughter: Word Wall

12/12/2011

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When reading Rappaccini's Daughter, there were some words that I didn't know, so I listed them here.  I did, however, think that the vocabulary in this story was easier than the vocabulary of The Scarlet letter.  While a little outdated, the words seemed to be somewhat more current.

Jovial- characterized by a hearty, joyous humor or a spirit of good-fellowship.  This would be a good word to describe Giovanni when he is lovestruck. 

Opulent- wealthy.  My sister used this word all the time when she was younger, thinking she had made it up.
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"Rappaccini's Daughter" Response #4: Double-sided Poem

11/30/2011

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Chillingworth      Giovanni

I gave my love

and you threw it
away
and you poisoned me

like it was nothing.
I tried giving you 
 the life you deserve
is not the one you have,
Now you are
isolated
in the garden
from yourself and others.
where your poison still reaches out.
What happened to our life together?
Now it’s destroyed.
Now it's only poison.
Did what we have ever mean anything to you?
You’ve always been more than just a letter to me.
I loved you from first sight, and I haven’t stopped.
Now you’ve got me caught in your trap
of all your menacing lies.
bound to you by an unspoken curse.
I thought I was doing what was best for you
but it must not have been enough.
I gave up everything I could,
And this is how you repay me?
Is this what you wanted,
to make me jealous, and hate him?
Now we’re both stuck here, alone.
Even though I gave my love.

(written by Natalie W. and Jordan)
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Rappaccini's Daughter Response #3:Final Reflections

11/30/2011

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    Beatrice needed to die.  To die in this story means more than a bittersweet ending; Beatrice's death gave Rappiccini's Daughter purpose.  It wasn't until the end of the story that I made sense of the title.  The whole story is about Beatrice, not Giovanni.  When she dies, Beatrice makes her most intelligent remarks of the story.  She grows in her last few moments.  No longer is she a ditzy, weak girl glowing with beauty, but she becomes strong standing up for herself against Giovanni.  Honestly, I think in those last few moments Beatrice was stronger and had more control over her life than she ever could have had with her poison.  By sacrificing her life so she could no longer hurt others, Beatrice was selfless, and in my eyes, she redeemed her dignity.  I can't say the same for the other characters of Rappiccini's Daughter.

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"Rappaccini's Daughter" Response #2: In the Middle of Things

11/30/2011

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Notes:
  • Beatrice doesn't know much about the plants
Reflection:
    Spied on by Rappaccini, Beatrice and Giovanni have been meeting everyday in the garden.  Rappiccini knows and has been watching. On their first "date", Beatrice touches Giovanni's wrist, and Giovanni gets a painful purple mark there.  But, Giovanni doesn't seem to care that Beatrice is poisonous. Even after Baglioni's warnings, Giovanni still wants to see Beatrice.  The two don't make much physical contact, but eventually I think they will either hug or kiss, poisoning Giovanni completely with Beatrice's disease. That will all be a part of Rappiccini's plan to test how lethal his daughter is.   By Rappiccini using Giovanni as his guinea pig, I think eventually Giovanni will die from whatever disease or poison Beatrice gives him.  Or, maybe Baglioni will step in and try to save Giovanni by killing Beatrice.
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Rappaccini's Daughter" Response #1: First Impressions

11/30/2011

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Prediction:
    Giovanni meets a lovely lady named Beatrice in a mystical garden, and falls in love.  But, Beatrice is already married.  Her husband becomes suspicious of Giovanni, and begins to watch him.  Seeing Beatrice and Giovanni together, the husband is so enraged, he goes to some professors to concoct something that will poison Giovanni.  Giovanni feels so bad that he's sneaking around with Beatrice that he can't even look himself in the mirror.

Notes:
  • Giovanni-college student 
  •     from naples
  •     garden out window
  •     Purple bush is important and personified to have a brain
  • Baglioni- doesn't like Rappiccini (jealous?)
  • Rappiccini cares for science more than mankind
  • Two animals died in garden
  • Giovanni loves and is scared of Beatrice
  • Is Giovanni one of Rappaccini's experiments?
First Impression:
     I like how science plays a larger role in this story.  I'm excited to see how the science factor will develop. Rappaccini seems to really be a crazy scientist, and I think that will make this story fun and interesting. 
     The other thing I've been thinking about is how things will end up for Giovanni.  Will he get the girl?  Beatrice seems so plant-like and almost of another world that I wonder if it's possible for her to fall truly in love.  The fact that none of the other men in town have been able to phase her makes me curious--what make Giovanni different from any of them?  Will Giovanni's and Beatrice's relationship actually develop? Will Giovanni be like the salamander and butterfly--drawn in by beauty just to be crushed by something more powerful later on?
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