Rappaccini's Daughter

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. A common symbol throughout literature is the garden. What stories have you read that feature a garden? Was the garden a positive or negative environment? What do you associate with gardens in literature?

Teaching Suggestion: It might be helpful to have a prepared list of books or short stories that include gardens in the setting to help students approach this discussion. Some possible titles include The Secret Garden, The Great Gatsby, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Alice in Wonderland, The Importance of Being Earnest, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

• “Great Literary Gardens: From Hamlet to Lady Chatterly’s Lover” from the Financial Times explores the various symbolic meanings of the garden, from romance and sexuality to political metaphor.

2. Often, religion and science are pitted against each other in literature and everyday life. What stories have you read (or movies have you seen) that polarize science and religion? Why are science and religion so often seen as incompatible?

Teaching Suggestion: It might be helpful to have a prepared list of books, short stories, TV shows, and movies that set science and religion against each other to get the discussion started. Some possible titles include Frankenstein, Dracula, Brave New World, The Parable of the Talents, and The Parable of the Sower.

• This explanation of conflict covers all the types of plot conflicts, including man versus the supernatural.
• This short article by PBS offers a brief introduction to the origins of the conflict between science and religion.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the story.

The term “star-crossed lovers” from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is used to describe lovers whose affection for one another is doomed to end in tragedy. What other stories with which you are personally familiar include star-crossed lovers? Why do you think this is an idea about which so many authors choose to write?

Teaching Suggestion: If students are unfamiliar with Romeo and Juliet, it might be helpful to share a brief synopsis with them, specifically regarding why the young lovers were star-crossed.

• This CNN article tells the true story of a modern-day Romeo and Juliet as they fight for their love despite religious and cultural differences.
• This article from Paste Magazine details eight doomed relationships spanning history from Greek mythology to present-day young adult fiction.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who struggle with writing or prefer to process verbally, consider having students discuss this prompt with the whole group or with a partner before completing a written response.