Dr.+Heidegger's+Experiment

Short Stories - Literary DevisesTitle: Dr. Heidegger's Experiment

Point of View:It's written from the perspective of someone who is informed of Dr. Heidegger in both his eccentricities and experiments, a journalist, or an anonymous friend of his.

Protagonist: What type of character is the Protagonist? He's a curious man, searching for answers through experimentation. Antagonist: I'd say the antagonist here is not a person, but the inner conflicts within the characters themselves represent one instead. Describe the setting The majority of the story takes place in Dr. Heidegger's study, described as an odd place, filled with curiosities. As for the time period, I imagine it is either in the late 19th or early 20th century.

Type of Conflict: I'd identify this conflict as one that originates within the hearts of the characters, not external circumstances. Describe the main conflict: Dr. Heidegger wishes to know whether it would be wise of him, if he could, to live again as a young man, and whether or not he would repeat the mistakes of the past.

Describe the Climax of the Story: The three men are struggling for the attentions of Widow Wycherly, who they believe to now be as beautiful as she once was, and the doctor, seeing this, realizes he has found his answer and commands them to halt, lifting the illusion or effect, it is unsure, with the withering of the rose.

How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story? In the beginning, he is welcoming and cheerful, but it is later revealed he is using who were once his friends merely as pawns in an elaborate experiment to suit his own ends. Whether this is morally justified, who knows?

Describe the relationship between the title and the theme. Humans are curious, as is our nature. As a result, we experiment, and when people experiment, others are curious as to the results.

How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme? Indecision and what lengths we will go to solve such questions, even if that means the manipulations of friends.

How does the climax help to illustrate the theme? Caught up in their burst of youthful energy, or delirium, the four are prime examples of what we are capable and more than willing to do, if given the chance. They had the chance to live again, free of the restraints of old age, mental or physical, and instead they chose to waste such little time they had on endeavours that had already been proven to be unworthy of their attentions.

Give examples of each of the following literary terms in the story (use quotes):

Simile: "The crushed and dried petals stirred, and assumed a deepening tinge of crimson, as if the flower were reviving from a deathlike slumber; the slender stalk and twigs of foliage became green; and there was the rose of half a century, looking as fresh as when Sylvia Ward had first given it to her lover." Metaphor: "The were all melancholy old creatures, who had been unfortunate in life, and whose greatest misfortune it was that they were not long ago in their graves."

Personification: "Between two of the bookcases hung a looking glass, presenting its high and dusty plate within a tarnished gilt frame."

Symbol: "This rose," said Dr. Heidegger, with a sigh, "this same withered and crumbling flower, blossomed five and fifty years ago."

Foreshadowing (give both elements): "It is a circumstance worth mentioning, that each of these three old gentlemen, Mr. Medbourne, Colonel Killigrew, and Mr. Gascoigne, were early lovers of the Widow Wycherly, and had once been on the point of cutting each other's throats for her sake." "Still keeping hold of the fair prize,the grappled fiercely at one another's throats."

Irony: "They resolved forthwith to make a pilgrimage to Florida, and quaff at morning, noon, and night, from the Fountain of Youth."

Imagery: "The sunshine came through the window, between the heavy festoons of two faded damask curtains, and fell directly across this vase; so that a mild splendour was reflected from it on the ashes visages of the five old people who sat around."

Describe the relationships between the class theme and the story. The pursuit of everlasting youth has long been a fascination of our race, wanting to cling on to the energy and fervour of youth as dearly as if it were the essence of life itself. Ironically, it is presently an unsuccessful venture, yet many people still spend a large amount of time agonizing over the subject.

1.His stated intent is to watch as his friends ingest the liquid from the Fountain of Youth.

2.They all at one point or another have failed in living their lives well, with rather disastrous consequences. They behave as they did earlier in life, appearing to have forgotten the lessons they gained through their age.

3.Seeing his friends act in such a way made him wary, and eventually sure that it would not be wise to partake of the liquid, lest he too should forget himself and act as foolish as in the prime of his youth. His friends, however, being lost in it themselves, rejoice at the thought of more youthful foolishness, as they enjoyed it so in the experiment.

4. The narrator is perhaps a friend of the Doctor, knowing the intimate details of his study, though it is possible he is only an acquaintence who was relayed the information afterwards. The latter seems the more likely, unless the doctor himself did not reveal the events as they happened, as he is unsure of his facts and is reticent at wholeheartedly backing any one of them.

5.Youth is seen by the writer as a time of folly, at least for the four guests, whereas age is a time for regret and infirmity. I do not necessarily agree that these are either the norms nor the absolutes that either of these ages adhere to, but I recognize that they are present in both often enough.

6. "Of course not, never. While I may not always be contented with my state of health, I have learned such truths about myself and my fellows that I would dare not forgo them in favour of youthful pleasures." Heidegger exclaimed. "On the contrary, dear doctor, I myself find no joy in aging, as it has robbed me of my most treasured asset, beauty." remarked Wycherly. "I am inclined to agree with the widow, doctor. I myself can attest that it is not great pleasure to look into the mirror and find yourself a faded visage of the glories you once held as a young man. Surely I am not alone in this opinion?" said Mr. Gascoigne. "I wholeheartedly agree, friend." interjected Mr. Medbourne. "As do I." the Colonel murmured.

7.This could only be a benefit, and not a detriment, to society only if the proper allowances were made for those who would live on without age. Overpopulation is the most prevalent concern, and unless we were to deplete our resources at an exponential rate, I imagine there would have to be some kind of limit on the amount of reproduction allowed in the world, so to save the resources for those already alive. The simple logistics of such a massive change in our approximate life expectancies would undoubtedly be horrendously complicated, and no doubt ill recieved by those not benefiting from the changes. I therefore believe that unless there were already firm plans and regulations regarding unnatural long life, regarding to a large population of such people of course, that laid down contingencies for possible consequences.

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