"Rappaccini's Daughter"における「善」と「悪」の問題 : 善が悪となり,悪が善となる世界

概要

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Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Rappaccini's Daughter" (1844) is, as Richard Harter Fogle has said, "the most difficult of Hawthorne's stories". There are various things to be considered in the story: Giovanni's lodging in Padua in relationship to Dante; Rapaccinni's Garden as Eden of poisonous flowers; the two Beatrices (Dante's Beatrice as "Eternal Feminine" and Beatrice Cenci as a beautiful murderess); and Dr. Rappaccini and Professor Baglioni, who both share characteristics of Robert Manning, Hawthorne's influential uncle. Each of the above has two clear aspects, Good and Evil and the relationship between them is very complex- sometimes Good, and sometimes Evil depending on the point of view. Hawthorne wrote this story under an assumed name, M. de l'Aubepine, claiming that it was just a translation of that French writer's work. As a critic, Hawthorne appraises his work as follows: "... M. de l'Aubepine's productions, if the reader chance to take them in precisely the proper point of view, may amuse a leisure hour as well as those of a brighter man; if otherwise, they can hardly fail to look excessively like nonsense." As discussed in this paper, Hawthorne puts complete responsibility for the story on the French writer, and, at the same time, leaves the matter of Good or Evil to the judgment of each reader. Beatrice, for example, will be Good seen from one point of view, and Evil from another, as is the case for each of the other characters and situations.