In a literal sense, Rappaccini's Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorn is the story of the rivalry between two scientists that ultimately results in the destruction of an innocent young woman. However, when the story is examined on a symbolic level, the reader sees that Rappaccini's Daughter is an allegorical re-enactment of the original who fell from innocence and purity in the Garden of Eden. Rappaccini's garden is the backdrop to this allegory, while the characters in the story each represent important figures in the Genesis story. Through the literary devices of poetic and descriptive diction, Nathaniel Hawthorne conveys the symbolism of these characters, as well as the setting. The story takes place in mid-19th century Padua, Italy, and revolves around two main settings; the home of an ancient Paduan family and the lush Rappaccini garden. The palace is described as "tall and gloomy... the palace of a Paduan nobleman... desolate and poorly furnished..." This description establishes a dark atmosphere throughout the story. Hawthorne writes: "One of the ancestors of this family... had been depicted by Dante as sharing the immortal agonies of his Hell..." Dante's allusion refers to the Divine Comedy and the Hell describes the souls in Hell . Furthermore, Baglioni converses with Giovanni in this chamber of the palace and tries to manipulate him in his attempt to destroy Rappaccini. In a certain sense, the dark and gloomy villa symbolizes the dominion of evil. The second main setting is the garden. The author uses poetic diction to describe Rappaccini's garden. Hawthorne writes: "There was one shrub in particular... which bore a profusion of purple flowers, each of which had the luster and richness of a gem... it seemed enough to illuminate the... center of the paper.. ." .ce 35 (1989): 43-69.Male, The Tragic Vision of Roy R. Hawthorne Austin: Texas University Press, 1957.Marder, Daniel Exiles at Home: A History of Literature in America of the Nineteenth Century Lanham: University Press of America, Inc., 1984. Norford, Don Parry. "The Garden of Allegories by Rappaccini". American Literature 50 (1979): 167-186. Phal, Dennis: University of Missouri Press, 1989. Persona, Leland S., Jr. Aesthetic Headaches: Women and Masculine Poetics in Poe, Melville, and Hawthorne Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1988. Shurr, William H. Rappaccini's Children : American Writers in. a Calvinist World Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 1981. Wagoner, Hyatt H. Hawthorne: A Critical Study Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1955.