How Far Is Rappaccini's Daughter A Fantasy In The Story "The Rappaccini's Daughter"?

"Rappaccini's Daughter" is a fantasy or an unusual story which is not life like, but a product of the imagination alone.

Firstly we have Dr. Rappaccini engaged in a kind of experiences which cannot be done in life at all. This doctor made the plants into medicine as powerful as magic. The plants in the garden were of different kinds, with huge leaves and superb flowers but the smell and touch of these flowers were deadly as they were full of poison. Dr.Rappaccini had created them with his special magical kind of scientific knowledge.

When Giovanni met Beatrice in the garden after falling in love with her the poison in Beatrice got transferred into him. He breathed in her presence and all the poison of her breath and smell of her body went into his body. The poison in him went on increasing as he came closed to her.

Secondly, we find that summer insects flying in search of food were attracted by the "flower smells of the deadly garden" this was their sweetish and sickening smell which attracted them but when they came closer to them they fell down dead on the ground on smelling them. The same kind of smell Beatrice gave out near the flowers and Giovanni felt it. Giovanni himself was giving out the same smell.

The suspense goes on mounting as we read the story. We are all the time desirous of knowing "what next". Until Beatrice's death we remain hopeful of some good results and the union of Giovenni and Beatrice. We are surprised and saddened at the end greatly and do not enjoy Baglioni's word "Rappaccini! Rappaccini! This is the result of your experiment!" but as Beatrice herself admitted to Giovanni it was her fate that was after her and Rappaccini was none else than her bad fate.