"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.