Dr. Heidegger´s Experiment : Story Analysis

Short summary of Nathaniel´s Hawthorne´s biography-

     Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American fiction writer.  He was born in Salem, Massachusetts, on July 4, 1804.  His writing was influenced by his Puritan descent.  Two of his most famous works are The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables which are now American classics.


Own summary-

Dr. Heidegger invites four of his friends to his house,  they are all old.  He wants them to participate on an experiment.  He gives them all water from the Fountain of Youth, so that they become young again.  He reminds them to not forget the mistakes from their past before drinking the water.  After drinking the water they continue making the same mistakes, and after a while they become old again.


Plot Analysis-

Conflict-  Dr.  Heidegger wants his friends to participate on the experiment and see if they learn something from it.

Rising Action-  Dr. Heidegger shows his friends the rose and explains about the water.

Climax-  when the vase breaks.

Resolution-  the four friends become old again and decide to look for more water in Florida.


Characterization-

Dr. Heidegger-  affectionate, sentimental, wise.

Mr. Medbourne-  old man with a white beard, greedy, made some bad business deals.

Mr. Gascon-  old man with a white beard, dishonest.

Colonel Killigrew-  old man with a white beard, ate and drank too much.

Widow Wycherly-  elderly woman with white hair, once quite beautiful, very conceited, not beautiful anymore.


Moral or learning-  One should try to learn from the mistakes of the past so that you don´t repeat them.


Personal Opinion-

To me this short story is neither too good nor too bad.  I think that the story is entertaining and deals with an interesting topic, which is aging.  I like how it shows the different ways the characters have failed in their past.  I like the symbolism with the rose.