"The Birthmark" vs. "Rappaccini's Daughter."

The world of literature has not always been established as egalitarian in the eyes of authors and readers alike. In fact, Nathaniel Hawthorne was a pioneer in his thoughts of feminist values where women were the better human beings, rather than their male counterparts, despite the fact that they were portrayed weaker. This higher essence is ironically expressed through their helplessness to control their own destinies and submissiveness to the people they love. Because these …

…women is yet another uncertainty that questions the moral lesson Hawthorne teaches. In both "The Birthmark" and "Rappaccini's Daughter", Hawthorne finds women to be more appropriate candidates for noble and merciful natures. He is not suggesting that men are purely evil, but that their overconfident natures merely reduce the hopes for tolerance. He brings to attention the more significant aspects of life - the natural love that makes people happy, not scientific improvement or perfection.