Hawthorne, Nathaniel (1804-1864) - An American writer whose old New England
family was involved in the Salem Witch Trials and Quaker persecutions. His
reflections on his family's past became the theme of many of his works.
His clear, musical style made him one of America's most emulated authors.
Rappaccini's Daughter (1844) - One of Hawthorne's greatest tales, it tells
of a scientist who dares to go beyond the limits of nature. Rappaccini feeds
his daughter poison so that her breath will be fatal to her lover.
