Rappaccini's Daughter

About “Rappaccini's Daughter”

"Rappaccini's Daughter" is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne first published in 1844 and later included in his 1846 collection Mosses from an Old Manse. The story follows Giacomo Rappaccini, a medical researcher in medieval Padua who cultivates a garden of poisonous plants. He raises his daughter to care for the garden, and she becomes immune to the poisons. However, her exposure to the plants makes her toxic to others. The tale draws on the traditional theme of a poisonous maiden, which has roots in Indian folklore. Hawthorne's story has been adapted in modern works and appears in multiple collections of American fiction and short stories.