A Man Named Giovanni Guasconti

My grandfather, Cosmo Damiano Depinto was born on May 15, 1939 in the small town of Molfetta, Italy. He is the son of Nicoletta Depinto, his mother, who was one of three siblings. Her two sisters were named Lina and Giovanna. His mother had a full time job as a seamstress. His grandmother was responsible for making fishing nets. His grandfather, Orazio, had a similar profession in the fishing industry and and worked as a local fisherman. But unfortunately he passed away when a mine blew up while he was fishing in his boat after World War I (1914-1918).

Giovanni is recounting what she’s had to do time and time again and the tone of the poem is one of frustration; frustration with the idea that, as a child, she was given the responsibility to surveil her father, yet without any means of action to curtail the violence that ensues. Giovanni goes so far to even describe herself as “[I am] the silent film (100)” to highlight that, while she may be watching, she is incapable of changing the circumstance because her voice would likely be silenced as “What goes on/In our house/Stays/In our house (Giovanni 100).” Her frustration with her inability to act is also a direct analogy to her frustration with the government’s lack of engagement in her family’s

Next, Alessandra answers the question of why Francesco would give his daughter to an exile. The first reason she mentions is because there is a shortage of young men from good families who have abilities and money. This is another statement that shows us how status, power, and money were all much bigger factors in finding a spouse than they are today. Her second reason was that she only has a small dowry. Once again, this statement speaks to the importance of money in the Renaissance period. The third reason that Alessandra gives is that Francesco has a big family and that this would help them get settled. This statement once again shows the importance of family unity to Renaissance Florence families.

Elisa not having any attention is in her gardening area when a mysterious man approaches her. Elisa is interested in this man. The man wants to fix something for Elisa but her being so strong she refused. So the man changes the tactics and shows interest in her Chrysanthemums. Elisa not being complemented about her Gardner and now someone says something so she begins to act differently toward the pot mender. She becomes attracted to this man and wants to do more then just be a gardener. The pot mender says something about her flowers and she feels appreciated. The pot mender leaves and her husband is ready to go out with her for diner, she now has confidence to go out.

Don Giovanni is a one-of-a-kind character, yet so predictable living a certain lifestyle, almost to the point of being mysterious. It is the enlightenment era however, where a lot of impossibilities were being explored, and presented to the public in different forms, including this opera, Don Giovanni. Although Don Giovanni seems like a total embodiment of immorality, he nevertheless carries some admirable principles, sparkling the enlightenment idea through the story of Don Giovanni.

Each man only saw what he wanted to see regarding Beatrice, and for Giovanni, it was most complex. Her father probably had good intentions when he caused his daughter to be poisonous. He did it as a means of protection, but this backfired, because the tendency of others to misunderstand Beatrice's complex makeup led them to unintentionally kill her. Each of the three men in Rappaccinni's Daughter wanted to mold Beatrice into something and each had his own idea of her identity, yet none of them looked at her subjectively. This is pointed out by Luedtke on page 188. "When he (Giovanni) was unable to bring Beatrice 'rigidly and systematically' within the realm of his own experience, and unwilling to risk a closer knowledge, Giovanni left the poison-damsel to die in her own pleasure-place." It is interesting to note Luedtke's use of the words "pleasure-place". This suggests that the poisonous garden was not the real problem or prison for Beatrice. An interesting point is revealed by Luedtke as he states, "The author makes a late attempt to intertwine her poison and her purity, but the demonic and the angelic continue to occupy their separate spheres, the former of the body, the latter of the soul. As Baglioni's antidote takes effect, eradicating the poison from Beatrice's system, her physical life is consumed. The soul might be innocent but it has no resting place."(181) If Beatrice's soul had no

"The Chrysanthemums" introduces us to Elisa Allen, a woman who knows she has a gift for growing things, but it seems to be limited to her garden. Diligently working in her garden, Elisa watches as men come and go, living their lives unconfined, wondering what it must feel like to have that freedom. That emotion is revealed as Elisa gases at her husband and acquaintances talking, "she looked down toward the men by the tractor shed now and then." As she tills the soil for her chrysanthemums Elisa tills the thoughts in her head. The garden she so desperately maintained represents her world. A world that will only flourish if nourished. Emotional nourishment and stimulation is what Elisa lacked and longed for. The garden is limited in space to grow and so is her marriage. The garden is safe, non-threatening and so is her world. The garden contains many different elements that make it what it is, although unseen, and if the proper nourishment is not given it will die, as with Elisa.

The friar became very suspicious and then convinces Leonato and, Beatrice and Benedick that Hero died from shock until they discover who dishonored her

Michele and Filippo, even though they are the same age are very different. Their upbringings are contrasting. Filippo is obviously from a rich background. He speaks of his electric train set (pg. 86). His mother, after appealing to his kidnappers on TV, appears to be in ‘a big leather armchair in a room full of books' (pg. 86). Michele's upbringing is the complete opposite. His bike, The Crock, is old and previously belonged to Pino (pg. 6), and he longs for a new one, however understands his family cannot afford it. He shares a corridor-turned room with his sister and his house is small. Despite all the differences in their lifestyle, Michele and Filippo share many of the same personal attributes, like honesty. Their actions and thoughts also depict a very same innocence, and childlike imagination.

Certain rumors spread into town characterize her as a highly educated young woman. We find evidence in that sense from Doctor Baglioni, another character in the story: "Rappaccini is said to have instructed her deeply in his science, and that, young and beautiful as fame reports her, she is already qualified to fill a professor's chair"(Hawthorne 878). But the truth is that, as she confesses later in the story, she knows nothing about the science of botany that her father is involved in; actually, she is only familiar with the flower's "hues and perfumes"( Hawthorne 883). She practically knows as much as a child of small age would; her education also lacks any form of interaction experience with the society. Hawthorne presents her father, Doctor Rappaccini, as her only companion of life. Her reason for isolation is related to her father's overprotective attitude towards his only child. Rappaccini raises her in the neighborhood of poisonous flowers, making her immune to them, but also transforming her into a source of poison. Beatrice is aware of the poison that she exudes; thus she becomes indirectly isolated from the rest of the world by her father. The deadly attribute Beatrice possesses places a social safeguarding wall around her.

The classic tragedy, that is the story of Romeo and Juliet, is a tale of two young lovers from rival families in 1590’s Verona, Italy. This sad story happens over four days, within this time a lot of trouble occurs. Within these catastrophes, is a character named Friar Lawrence, a spiritual advisor and role model to the pair. A most lamentable man, written by Christine Marlowe, explains her opinion on Friar Lawrence and why she believes that he is not just a foolish character but he was also weak and malicious. It is also portrayed that all the mishaps of the story are the consequences of the Friar. This essay will explore why Friar Lawrence was not malicious and foolish nor was it all his fault, instead a character filled with hope and courage

Leonardo Da Vinci was a successful man in more areas than artwork. From the time he was a boy, he began studying the arts as well as the ideas of science, medicine, machinery, and much more. Da Vinci’s history is reflected in his paintings and inventions that have been able to change the world of then and now. Leonardo’s artistic vision led him down a prosperous path of life that has made him one of the most innovative individuals the world has seen. With the help of a lot of childhood exposure to the arts, along with the natural creativity born inside of him, Leonardo Da Vinci changed the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries through his work.

Hawthorne frequently uses words like "imagine", "seemed", or "appeared to " to cast a doubt upon the validity of what Giovanni thinks he sees. Even Giovanni himself rationalizes the situation and convinces himself that what he thought he saw did not happen. This is because in Giovanni's mind, it is impossible to separate the physical from the spiritual. For him, if Beatrice's body is poisonous, then so is her spirit. Giovanni is unable to see the possibilities for good and bad to be simultaneously within someone. This problem is at the heart of this story and is what ultimately causes Beatrice's death. Since Giovanni allows himself to disbelieve what he had seen earlier in the garden, he is able to fall for Beatrice. Giovanni is drawn to Beatrice not because of the "glamor" of science, but an interest in the unknown. He knows that all is not right in Rappaccini's garden and he is fascinated with the mystery. As Giovanni and Beatrice get to know each other, they develop a strong bond. However, for Giovanni this is not true love. Hawthorne provides the reader with clues that question the integrity of Giovanni. For example, Hawthorne writes, "Guasconti had not a deep heart or at all events, its depths are not sounded now-but he had a quick fancy, and an ardent southern temperament, which rose every instant to higher fever-pitch" (Hawthorne 614). Not only is Giovanni passionate in his lust for Beatrice, but he also

At the beginning of the story, Hawthorne establishes a dark mood when describing the ancestors who were occupying the mansion “pictured by Dante as a partaker of the immortal agonies of his Inferno” (Hawthorne). This allusion refers to the “Divine Comedy” and the Inferno, which tells Dante’s journey through hell. This story also alludes to the tale of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, in which the prominent figures disobey God and they end up being cast out of Eden, the paradise. One of the parts in the story of “Rappaccini’s Daughter” that alludes the tale of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is when Giovanni thinks “was this garden, then, the Eden of the present world?” about Rappaccini’s botanical garden (Hawthorne). In addition, Beatrice can be associated with Eve because, despite the fact that her body is corrupted by her father and becomes poisonous, her soul always remains pure and clean. With her beauty, Beatrice enamors Giovanni and poisons him slowly unintentionally with her breath and essence of the violet flower. Beatrice does not know that she can poison Giovanni because she is imprisoned in the garden, as Beatrice says to Giovanni, “the effect of my father’s fatal love of science, which estranged me from all society of my kind” (Hawthorne). Giovanni is not really in love with Beatrice because he convinces her to drink the

Giovanni Palestrina was an Italian composer who was born in Palestrina, near Rome. Giovanni was born on February 3, 1525 and died February 2, 1594. He studied with Robin Mallapert and Firmin Label. Giovanni went to school at St. Maria Maggiore. He spend most of his job in the city. Giovanni was influenced by the Northern European style of polyphony. He played organ for his church that he was deeply into.