Dr. Masters – Week 3 – “Rappaccini’s Daughter”

Mad scientist with no energy for anything else just happens to be in Italy, the home of Gothic architecture.  The stereo-type of Italians being on the seedy side.  Where else would such a scientist be crazy enough to use his own daughter to experiment on.  Even Giovanni is described as having a Grecian head and that “ardent Southern temperament.”  The South of Italy has the reputation for being in a lower class than the middle section or the North.  It’s acceptable to use a Southerner without his knowledge to satisfy a scientist’s curiosity, after all, they are not as important as the elite sector further north. 

 

Giovanni is also described as being a part of a family mentioned in Dante’s “Inferno,” an extinct family.  This sets Giovanni up to be thought of as less than and a perfect subject for any kind of experimentation or even victimization in general.  Spooky things happen in Italy among the ruins and ancient aqueducts, why not in a Garden of Eden setting? 

 

Beatrice’s father was also paying a high price for his obsession.  He was being slowly poisoned every time he entered the garden.  We don’t know how many times he had tried to find a mate for his daughter that would be immune to the poison, someone who reacted in the same way that she did.  In the end, the antidote kills her.  Coincidentally, this antidote was offered by the rival of Dr. Rappaccini, Dr. Baglioni.  So, who won?