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Frankenstein And Rappaccini's Daughter Analysis

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The Bounty Placed on Beauty There is one trait that society values above all else. Men and women around the globe empty their wallets in the pursuit of this trait. It has given people careers, but it has also destroyed people’s lives. As a society, humanity has put too much weight on appearance and beauty to the point where one’s initial value is determined by how aesthetically pleasing he or she is. This theme—the ugliness of society and its excessive desire for beauty—is heavily illustrated in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Rappaccini’s Daughter. Frankenstein and Rappaccini’s Daughter show how much humanity despises ugliness and how much humanity praises beauty. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, society looks down upon Frankenstein’s creature solely because of its appearance. People who have never encountered the creature before are terrified of its appearance, and, therefore, terrified of it. The creature recounts its first …show more content…

Once Giovanni realizes he has become conflicted with Beatrice’s curse, he confronts her and accuses her of intentionally “[filling his] veins with poison” (Hawthorne par. 126). Outraged, he claims Beatrice has made him “as hateful, as ugly, as loathsome and deadly a creature” as her (Hawthorne par. 126). Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Rappaccini’s Daughter show how humanity is obsessed with aesthetics to the point where it becomes a primary determinant of one’s value. This theme is not just heavily present in Frankenstein and Rappaccini’s Daughter—it is heavily present in everyday life. An individual who is overweight will automatically be discriminated against and deemed invaluable. An individual with tattoos and piercings will not receive the same treatment as an unpierced, tattoo-free individual. Mankind has proven that valuing others based on beauty shows humanity’s true

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