Page 182 - Cyberculture and New Media

Leman Giresunlu 173
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the realm of history, which bases its ontology on the idea of historical
progress. Haraway with her denial of a story of origin to the cyborg she also
denies a chance to all other first origins and their line of gradual succession,
development or progress therefore she sounds almost deconstructive within
herself. Therefore, she is legitimating the excessiveness of her cutting-edge
aspect.

5. Cyborg Goddesses: Diversity with Style, Beatrice, Lara Croft,
and Alice
In the Cybele cult a sacrificial twist is visible in antiquity. It
manifests to the detriment of the male figure. In American literature, the
sacrificial twist reappears in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Rappacinni’s
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Daughter , this time to the detriment of the feminine protagonist. However,
in current science fiction movies, the sacrificial potential manifests for both
genders simultaneously, to the regeneration of either ones interchangeably
via death. The sacrificial, rather apocalyptic aspect always induces an
equivocal regeneration of technology and culture through time. In Nathaniel
Hawthorne’s Rappacinni’s Daughter this role was Beatrice’s.
Infused with Dr. Rappaccini’s garden’s poison, Beatrice self-
destructs in the presence of male scientists and her lover: in the meanwhile
killing them emotionally. In the story Beatrice is a young woman who was
brought-up by her botanist father within their luscious garden full of
poisonous plants. Rappaccini had brought up her daughter infused with
poison so that she would be immune to all sorts of manipulation during her
life. The poison Beatrice regularly inhales from the plants in their garden
transforms her breath into pure poison itself, which is soon to affect her
relationship with her young male suitor and conclude in Beatrice’s
subsequent death. Giovanni, Beatrice’s suitor becomes upset to realize that
his love for Beatrice is doomed to be a poisonous union to the detriment of
tearing both of them apart from the rest of the world. Thus, he revolts and
finds the solution in accepting Professor Baglioni’s potion in cure for
Beatrice. This cure happens to be stored in a well-wrought vial, the design of
Benvenuto Cellini, which also has to say a lot about the arts and its
composure in relation to the human condition. Thus with Baglioni’s antidote
Giovanni is to do away with Rappaccini’s poison for good. Beatrice’s
encounter with Giovanni renders Rappaccini’s victory with the poisonous
garden to become Beatrice’s misery. Giovanni and Beatrice become mirror
reflections for each other. Eventually Beatrice selects Giovanni as her future
mate. However, she keeps a grain of skepticism in regard of Giovanni’s
temperamental nature. Still, Beatrice does away with her father’s
protectiveness by drinking Baglioni’s antidote. The following final
conversations between Beatrice and Rappaccini highlight their condition: