"Dr. Heidegger's Experiment:" Story Analysis

Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne(1804-1864) is one of America's greatest writers. His best-known novel The Scarlet made him famous around the world. Author's works belong in its majority to romanticism, specifically, dark romanticism. He wrote another short stories to various magazines and annuals, but these were not so relevant. On a tour on the White Mountains, Nathaniel Hawthorne died in his sleep on May 19 in Plymouth, new Hampshire.

Summary of the story: This story is about an experiment developed by Dr. Heidegger. A Dr. Heidegger's friend sent him water from the unknown "Fountain of Youth", so the doctor wanted to see what happens if a person drinks from this liquid. To carry out his experiment this doctor invites four people had lived an unfortunate and very sad lives. These old people drank the complete liquid of each glass, and in a few instants they became younger. At that time they started to shove one another, then they were fighting. The table was knocked over, as a result the vase fell to the ground and smashed, and the water has spilled on the ground. Dr. Heidegger concluded that they have not learned of their past. At the same time they planned to go to Florida to get more water.

Story's plot:

1. Conflict: To carry out Dr. Heidegger's experiment with the water from the "Fountain of youth" that a friend gave him.

2. Rising actions:

-Doctor invites four people to experiment on them to his house; this people had an unhappy life.

-He leads them to his laboratory, and show them the water in a vase.

-Dr. Heidegger takes a 55 years old rose that symbolized a girl, a wedding from a book, and he put in a glass with this water, immediately the rose begins to bloom, but his guests thought it was a trick.

-To begin with Dr.'s experiment he poured four glasses for his guests. With trembling hands they started to drink.

-They began to feel happier and better. They felt young again.

- After that, they started to fool around and to bear out their change. 

- A widow called Wycherly was the only woman in the guests. She wanted to dance with the Dr., but the other three guests wanted do it too, and they began to struggle to dance with her.

3.Climax: When these guys were fighting the water was spilled on the floor. The flower that lay on the table in the glass was thrown to the ground, and without water began to shrink again. The same thing happened to Dr.'s guests.

4.Resolution: The water from the "Fountain of youth" has spilled on the ground. And Dr. Heidegger concluded that they have not learned from their mistakes.

Characters:

Dr. Heidegger	Mr. Medbourne	Mr. Gascon	Colonel Killigrew	Widow Wicherly
-Strange old man. -Interested in the “Fountain of youth”.	-Was rich man. -Greedy. -Had to beg for money.	-Politian. -Dishonest. -Sent to jail. -Poor. -Lives in shame.	-Was a great soldier. -Unhealthy guy. -Sometimes liar.	-Was beautiful. -Conceited. -Incredulous.

Moral of the story: Things have a natural order, and it reason is not important to know. People have to learn to live one day at a time and forget the mistakes. Everyday is a chance to change the life. When the sun shines each day, it is because life is not over. It means a re-start in the lives of all the being on this planet, and we have to take advantage of this opportunity to change what we have to.

My opinion: I like this story just for fun. I know other stories which are better than this and teach in an excellent way about the moral of this story, but in a successful way e.g. Three Hundred Pesos by Manuela Williams Crosno. I liked the sceneries that my mind imagines when I read this story. But in general I like it. The irony of the story is that despite the became young again, they would foul the same mistakes again when they have the opportunity to fix them somehow. 

"Three Hundred Pesos:" Story Analysis

Author: Manuela Williams Crosno (1905-1977) was inspired on her host location to  set her stories. Most of her life she lived in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She was interested on the Hispanic culture from her beginnings. This lady was an accomplished wrtitter, e.g. she won the First Prize in a statewide writing contest.

Three Hundred Pesos story relates about a miser man who wanted to earn 100 pesos to get his own store. This man called "Anastacio" possessed 200 hundred pesos, and he tried some different ways like planting corn and pinto beans to earn his necessary money that was 300 pesos to achieve buy his commerce. But unexpectedly, intermediately he owned the 300 pesos he died. 

Plot diagram:

• Conflict:

Anastacio wanted to earn 100 pesos to buy with 200 pesos more he had, to buy an own store.

• Rising actions:

1. Anastacio's brother, Emilio ask him for a peso to buy medicine for his son.2. Anastacio have planted corn, but it was destroyed by a hailstorm, and he though that it was happening because he did not lend Emilio some money.

3. He replanted again corn,but in this case Berta who is his sister lent him some money to repair her house's roof and asked him if she and her family could live with him , but he did not, and in this case a flock of wandering sheep crushed and ate it. And he thought the samething.

4. He sold some horses and earned 50 pesos.

5. At that time the pinto beans were in shortage, so he decided to plant, and then sell them in 50 pesos, and finally complete the 300 pesos he needed.

6.For one season he was totally dedicated to plant the beans, without see nobody.

7.He decided to visit his brother and sister, and load the beans on a wagon.

•  Climax:

On his journey Anastacio had an accident. His wagon was crushed by a horseless wagon, the beans were scattered, and the responsible person said I do not want further problems so take this 50 pesos cause the beans are valued in that and finally he had 300 hundred pesos he wished.

• Resolution: 

He died because of his wounds by an accident, and the three hundred pesos were used to his beautiful funeral.

Characters: 

• Anastacio: main character, Hard-working. but miser, and some unlucky.
• Emilio: Anastacio's brother.Poor men and very humble, worried about his son,  unlucky too.
• Berta: Anastacio's sister. She worries a lot about her relatives. Poor and humble too.

This story teaches that the dreams are very valuable, but if you are miser or stingy those are not so important, less if you completely forget your relatives. Also this story says implicitly money just works for this world and death it does not exist.

I liked this story cause the final is unexpected. This teaches about what is important in the life, besides it makes you think about what happen if you are miser. Also not only teaches what is important, but what is essential to appreciate if you borned on this planet.