Lit.+Doc,+Dr.+Heidegger

Short Stories - Literary Devises Title: Dr. Heideggers Experiment

Point of View: 3rd Person Omnicient

Protagonist: Dr. Heidegger What type of character is the Protagonist? Round, Dynamic Antagonist: Himself

Describe the setting Decades ago, probably mid 1800s Dr. Heidegger office. The atmosphere is curious and excited.

Type of Conflict: Man vs. Himself

Describe the main conflict: Dr. Heidegger performing an experiment and watching the results.

Describe the Climax of the Story: I believe that the climax is at the moment where Dr. Heidegger's friends transcended back to there former selves.

How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story? I think that at the end of the story, after the climax, Dr. Heidegger realizes that the fountain will, not only restore body, but mind, and the subjects will have to relive their mistakes, not carrying back their wisdom.

Describe the relationship between the title and the theme. I think that the theme is immortality and repeating your mistakes, “those who do not learn history are bound to repeat it” sort of mantra. Since Dr. Heidegger’s friends have not learn from their mistakes. Dr. Heideggers experiment is to test how people will act after being “restored to their youth” making them a sort of immortal. They proceed to act naive, vain and overall like utter fools.

How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme? In my opinion the main conflict is Dr. Heideggers longing to return to the past and fix his mistakes, however he realizes after the experiment has taken place, it would be simply a delusion and he would most likely to repeat his mistakes

How does the climax help to illustrate the theme? During the climax of the story, Dr. Heidegger realizes that immortality is all in your head, and that after you return to your regular body, you would feel even sadder about being old.

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

Simile: with a visage as faded as her dress

Metaphor: for little bubbles were continually ascending from the depths of the glasses, and bursting in silvery spray at the surface

Personification:shadows of age were flitting from it like darkness from the crimson daybreak.

Symbol: “what was once a rose, though now the green leaves and crimson petals had assumed one brownish hue, and the ancient flower seemed ready to crumble to dust in the doctor's hands.” I think that the rose represents the past and how Dr. Heidegger does not want to let it go. The rose is rejuvenated by the after, but soon after returning to its previous state.

Foreshadowing (give both elements): An old butterfly is drenched with the water of life and soon becomes a young insect. “The insect fluttered lightly through the chamber, and settled on the snowy head of Dr. Heidegger” however soon, “the butterfly fluttered down from the doctor's snowy head, and fell upon the floor” this foreshadows the guests returning to their real ages and soon enough “Was it an illusion? Had the changes of a lifetime been crowded into so brief a space, and were they now four aged people, sitting with their old friend, Dr. Heidegger?”

Irony: Dramatic Irony occur when the reader learns of how Dr. Heideggers mirror reflects the image of the guests still aged even after drinking the “magic water”

Imagery: though now the green leaves and crimson petals had assumed one brownish hue, and the ancient flower seemed ready to crumble to dust in the doctor's hands.

Describe the relationships between the class theme and the story. Mortality is essential to humanity. It shapes our decisions, and makes us enjoy life, because without death, we wouldn’t have to savor over ever little day, knowing that each one could be our last. Mortality lets us fear. Almost all animal life and some part of human life, is purely for the sae of survival. Imagine, only ever actually having to eat for pleasure. survival and life are aspects of humanity, and for no matter of how primitive they are.

1. The purpose of Dr. Heidegger's Experiment is to test how the "water of life" affects people. I would speculate his hypothesis could be written out, saying, "What aspects of a human does the water from the fountain of youth affect." He was probably curious to see if he relived his youth, would he relive his youthful mistakes? After the experiment showed that his four subjects lived their youth again with all of their negative history intact, that their second youth was just as their previous.

2. All four of Dr. Heideggers friends all had an unfortunate history, with the widow Whycherly had been essentially exiled for the scandals she committed, Mr. Medbourne had lost all of his money to a failed prospect, Colonel Killigrew had spent his earlier days being promiscuous, and therefore picked up multiple diseases, and Mr. Gascoigne's career had be ruined horribly. All four end up once again reliving their past during the experiment.

3. Dr. Heidegger did not want to "stoop" to bathe his lips, because his youth was spent sadly, but he learned from his mistakes. He did not want to become young again because he has become accustomed to his age and realizes that every age has its advantages and that being young would mean being foolish and naive.

4. The narrator is most likely a relative of Dr. Heidegger that was told the story and is simply retelling it. Because of this the narrator seems unsure of all the details, and seems to be exaggerating at some points and filling in the blanks of the details that aren't as well known. I think the s/he is related because of because some details, Like those of Dr. Heidegger as well as his study are clear.

5. I think that some of the points made about aging are,

a) Each age has its disadvantage, the young are sharp physically but have not yet became wise.

b) To go against nature is foolish. Death will always exist

c) Youth may be wasted on the young, but age is wasted on the old

d) Those who are chronologically advanced often have a difficult time, so help out the old.

7. I think that having longer lives would be selfish and would cause multiple problems including,

Overpopulation: The old wouldn’t age and would continue to have children, but instead of the normal circle of life the parents wouldn't die and soon their children would have children who would have children who would have children, and soon multiple generation would be alive simultaneously, and with every generation that wouldn’t die on time the amount of people would go on dramatically. If you look at a family tree, if you trace your self back to your four grand parents with 4 grand parents each with a child (meaning ~ 2 per family) you would have, in your entire family from just those grand parents 16 people, and then great grandparents and even further extended families. And if each of these family lived for 800 year, chances are, each family would have more than just 2 kids, unless the anti aging potion caused impotence. And that’s just one aspect.

COMPLETION4/5 EFFORT 4/5 CONTENT 4/5 ‍QUESTIONS 10/12 ‍ Revised TOTAL 22/27