Apologies for the late response

I really have no idea what to make of this story. I find it bizarre yet intriguing. I really want to know what others are thinking about this story (and I'm going to read the other posts after this), because I think it is so open to interpretation. If I had to throw something out there (which I do), I would say that this was some Romantic fairy tale gone terribly wrong. Other Romantic tales we have read have definitely used nature, but this one takes it a step further by actually mating a rose with a woman, and creating a daughter/rose child. The rose/woman description has been made before in many stories I have read, but it has never been as literal as it is in this story. I also thought it was interesting that the story takes a turn in tone at the end. It goes from sort of a mystical tale to a comedic, slightly sarcastic joke. This change, when the narrator talks in jest about Dr. Rosenberger perhaps conducting "bestial experiments" on the girl, is a strange way to end the story, as it sort of leaves the reader very confused as to what the moral of the story (if any) may be. I am open to all other interpretations, and look forward to hearing some of them in class tomorrow.