Loneliness In Rappaccini's Daughter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Psychology Dictionary defines loneliness as “a sometimes long lasting feeling having no alternative to turn to in times of distress and depression. Generally classes as a period of heightened cognitive discomfort and uneasiness from being oneself“ (Psychology Dictionary1). Nathaniel Hawthorne’s works such as “Rappaccini's Daughter,”“Ethan Brand,” and “Young Goodman Brown” have characters, that embody the definition of loneliness. It is clear these short stories have lonely characters that have hit rock bottom. Not only are the characters in these stories lonely, but they are insane as well. In each of short stories, Hawthorne shows that the state of being lonely causes the characters to become insane.
In “Rappaccini's Daughter,” Dr.Rappaccini is visibly the most insane character. He is described as, “But as for Rappaccini, it is said of him-and I know the man well, can answer for its truth that he cares infinitely more for science than mankind” (Hawthorne, “Rappaccini’s Daughter” 4). Dr. Rappaccini cares

more about science than he cares for the well being of others. If Rappaccini was given anything or anyone to experiment on he would do it no matter the consequences he will face. Therefore, “Perhaps the results is to be death-perhaps a fate more awful still! Rappaccini, with what he calls the interest of science before his eyes, will hesitate at nothing“ (Hawthorne, Rappaccini’s Daughter 13”). Due to this, it is understood that he has harassed and violated many people in order to make magnificent scientific discoveries.
Throughout the story, it is shown that his daughter Beatrice, is the subject for the majority of his experiments.By being the subject she must try out many of his creations such as the poison. Due to this Beatrice is isolated from the rest of the world. It states, “I know little of Signora Beatrice, save that Rappaccini is said to have instructed her deeply in his science, and that, young and beautiful as fame reports her, she is already qualified to fill a professor’s chair” (Hawthorne, “Rappaccini’s Daughter”4). The people of their society have limited information about Beatrice due to the fact that Dr. Rappaccini never lets Beatrice out of his sight. While raising her he made sure that she would be just like him. As she starts to get older he realizes that was not possible as a result of her personality being polar opposite to his. In order to make sure that they do not become too dissimilar, “Rappaccini “poisons” Beatrice” (Tharpe 58), for the sake of himself and in the name of science. Beatrice’s well being and how she would thrive in society was not even a thought that occurred to Rappaccini when performing these experiments.
Since Rappaccini has made it clear that science is everything to him, he developes a bad reputation from the other people in the society. Especially Professor Baglioni as he tells Giovanni “...took an opportunity to mention the name of Doctor Rappaccini. But the Professor did not respond with so much cordiality as he had anticipated” (Hawthorne, “Rappaccini’s Daughter” 3). Many people disagreed with his ways of living, the well being of other humans and yourself should be much more important to you than science to the scientist. Since people had quite differing beliefs, they had many things to say about him, “Rappaccini, as I have heard, tinctures his medicaments with odors richer than those of Araby” (Hawthorne, “Rappaccini’s Daughter” 12). The people often began to say negative comments about him because of his unusual way of living.Such as Giovanni as he thinks,”Giovanni believes that poison correspond to evil and that health and beauty correspond to goodness, so when Beatrice appears to be poisonous he is bewildered by the disjunction between her apparent health and Beauty and her apparently poisonous nature”(Rogers 65). Not only was Rappaccini's insanity affecting himself and his daughter’s state of being, but also the society and how it was functioning. The crippling of loneliness leading to insanity is also found in Hawthorne’s Ethan Brand.
The story of, “Ethan Brand” begins with a description of Ethan Brand - a man who has cut himself off from society to search for the “Unpardonable Sin”.

As Bartram says “ I can tell you, the good folk still talk about Ethan Brand, in the village yonder, and what a strange errand took him away from his line-kiln” (Hawthorne's, “Ethan Brand” 3). “...there was always something special even unique within Brand (the “solitary” and meditative” limeburner) that led him to his search and is till evident in Brand when he returns to Graylock” (Harris 1). Ethan Brand has always confused everyone. He has always kept everything to himself. So that causes no one to understand his motive for leaving the village. It just does not make great deal of sense, to the people why he would leave society for seeking to find something that may or may not exist. While people were confused by the departure of Ethan Brand, they are even more confused by his later

reappearance.
After a significant amount of time being alone doing his search, Ethan Brand returns to the village. When he comes back unannounced, people were shocked by his reentry, as no one thought that he would ever be seen in the village ever again. On his arrival to the village he does not try to reunite with the society. He is adamant about keeping himself separated from fellow his fellow humans. Whenever they approach him he insists that they move away immediately (Hawthorne, “Ethan Brand” 6). Therefore,.“...it is Brand alone who keeps himself from himself from joining the ranks of humanity; he has “Enveloped himself” in “the bleak and terrible loneliness” in which he is still encased after his search ends” (Harris 1). Ethan Brand after coming off a big search talks nothing about what he has done or what he has seen. Rather, he remains silent and distant just as he was before. He has completely cut himself off from every part of society. The distance he creates between himself and his community will cause him a severe problems for the future.
Subsequently being separated from everyone for too long amount of time causes him to do the most insane and horrible thing a person can do; to commit suicide,“Brand finally acknowledges, in his laugh of self-scorn that his search has been an absurdity and has ended in failure. He scorns himself and later kills himself, not because he has not. And his pride will not allow him to acknowledge his failure out loud even to himself” (Harris 1). His reason for doing this is,“Brand commits suicide because he does not achieve anything uncommon” (Harris 1). Ethan Brand upon his return to the village has made it quite clear that he wants nothing to do with the people of the population. He does not want to help them or share with them the knowledge he has gathered. At first they tried to force him to tell about why he chose to leave society. After, too much time has passed the people begin to lose interest in Ethan Brand. When Ethan finally is fully alone he decides that life in not worth living anymore. Self inflicted isolation is the reason that Ethan Brand could no longer see what the meaning of life was. Brand could could see the meaning of life, Goodman Brown does the same thing.
The tale of “Young Goodman Brown” starts off with a dark tone, as Goodman Brown is saying goodbye to his wife Faith, “... the young man pursues his way until, being about to turn the corner by the meeting house, he looked back and saw the head of Faith still peeping after him with a melancholy air, in spite of her pink ribbons” (Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” 1).When Goodman Brown leaves Faith he tells her that he will only be gone for one day and that she will be fine.He says this fully knowing that it is not true. Faith was very nervous about having to be without her husband. His words do not seem very convincing or comforting to her, as it appears that she does not really believe anything he is saying. However, it is shown that lying to Faith is causing destruction. He is letting her, his morals and values, and beliefs all go to waste. As he is now being represented by Hawthorne as the devil himself. (Korb 305). This becomes very apparent when Goodman Brown enters the woods.
After parting ways with Faith, Goodman Brown enters the woods. It is from this point on in the story that Goodman Brown becomes a lunatic. When walking through the woods, one of his first remarks are, “There may be a devilish Indian behind every tree,” said Goodman Brown to himself: and he glanced fearfully behind him as he added, “What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow”” (Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” 1)! This is one of his first comments when he enters the woods, thus showing how apprehensive he was. Others who were put in this situation may also have that same feeling, but definitely not to the extreme that he did. Goodman Brown from just looking at a tree thinks that the devil is after him, displaying that he has gone due to the fact that he was dishonest with his wife. Yet it also shows how excited he was at the same time because he gets to meet the one he has set out to see. A later event in the woods argues the point of fearfulness,“ “Faith!” shouted Goodman Brown, in a voice of agony and desperation; and the echoes of the forest mocked him, crying, “Faith!Faith!” as if bewildered wretches were seeking her all through the wilderness” (Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” 5). Goodman Brown recognizes that Faith is nowhere near him and cannot put him out of his miseries. He is just so far apart from her that he starts to yearn her more and more by the second. Hawthorne represent Brown as someone who has been in the saddest prison, his own heart (Korb 306).
In the end the Goodman Brown has to ponder upon to the events, “Had Goodman Brown fallen asleep in the forest and only dreamed a wild dream of a witch meeting” (Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” 9)? “At the end of the story, Brown is left to wonder whether his was, in fact, a dream” (Korb 302), showing that regardless of whether the dream happened or not is it quite clear the Goodman Brown is completely crazy. He has reached a point of no return, he is incapable of distinguishing whether events so extreme have happened or not. These events taking place lets the reader knows what is inside Goodman Brown’s brain; the thoughts of a psychopath. Someone who puts himself in a gruesome situation because they are so far away from his dearly beloved wife and feel as though no one can love them. Someone who disobeys his religion and believes that he should not be punished. Had Goodman Brown not left Faith it is very likely that these events would likely not occur because he was not only leaving his wife, but his faith religion.If he had stayed at home and gave his wife company he could not have been able to meet up with the devil.
Hawthorne believes that human seclusion is inevitably going to cause madness.Especially when you leave morals and truths behind. In “Ethan Brand” and “Young Goodman Brown” walking away from people or groups of people cause damages that can not be repaired. In “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” your irrationality can cause the feeling of aloneness not just in you,but in others as well especially your loved ones. When beliefs and other people are left behind an individual is forced to discover who they truly are. It is in most cases a side of you that you never want to see. Thus, making you run away from places and people that you once loved. Once gone, there is no chance of coming back “To wit why would a man who has divorced himself from sympathy return to his fellows for their approval” (Harris 1), from here the person you previously were, is not who are are or ever will be.