Dr.+Heidegger's+Experiment

Short Stories - Literary Devises Title :Dr.Heidegger’s Experiment

Point of View: First person

Protagonist: The gift of Eternal life or ‘The Fountain of Youth’

Antagonist: Dr. Heidegger

Type of Conflict: The concept or illusion of eternal life.

Describe the main conflict: The main conflict is when Dr. Heidegger decides whether or not to deceive these people and whether to believe it himself.

Describe the Climax of the Story: The climax was when the pitcher was spilt and the people all thought that their youth had been shattered, and the rose wilts.

How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story? Dr.Hiddeger is first hesitant about the pitcher and what it does contain. Then he decides that he would not and could not ‘stoop to bathe his lips in the water’

Describe the relationship between the title and the theme. The Dr. was experimenting as described in the title, he wanted to know whether the tale of ‘The Fountain of Youth’ would be believed by these people. The people were deceived by their own greed and desire to young and beautiful again.

How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme? Dr. Heidgegger does an experiment to decide whether or not to believe the myth, that is the main conflict. I think the theme is myths are deceiving and can get you into bad positions. The conflict is about myths and deciding whether to take a risk or play it safe.

How does the climax help to illustrate the theme? When the pitcher shatters it represents the myth and folklore, all of the beliefs of the four old people disintegrated. The four old people realized that the water held no power of its own, or maybe just thought that since the pitcher had shattered, the ‘magic’ of the water did not work.

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

Simile: “ As if a royal were listening to his well-turned periods”

Metaphor: ‘as if the flower were reviving from a deathlike slumber’

Personification: ‘The skeleton rattled in its closet’

Symbol: I think the name of the old woman ‘Widow Wicherly’ was a symbol for when she grew old her beauty diminished. She appeared as some would say a ‘witch’, her cloths would also contribute towards he ‘witchy’ appearance.

Foreshadowing (give both elements): I think when the old people claimed that when the rose revived it was a trick, it was foreshadowing the vase breaking and everything affected by the water growing old again.

Irony: I think it’s ironic that the old people when at once thinking them-selves young again the started mocking the doctor, who is old and any one in general who is old.

Imagery: ‘It was a dim, old-fashioned chamber, festooned with cobwebs, and besprinkled with antique dust.’

Describe the relationships between the class theme and the story? When the doctor experimented he was trying to resolve a conflict in his brain about himself deciding to believe it and whether his guests would believe it too. They thought they were turned young again but they really weren’t, or we have been told to beleive the water didn’t posses the magic it was made out to have.
 * 1) According to Dr.Heidegger, what is the purpose of his experiment?

His purpose was to see whether the water was really what it was claimed to be, the water of the ‘Fountain of Youth’
 * 1) What do Dr. Heidegger’s friends have in common? How does each of them behave during the experiment

They were described to be full of them-selves and they all desired to be young again. They all once believing they were young again started to make fun of the elderly and again repeating they youth, fought over the widow.
 * 1) Why would Dr. Heidegger not stoop to bathe his lips in the Fountain of Youth? Do his friends feel the same way? Comment

He decided not to stoop down because he wished not to repeat his past mistakes. His friends did not feel the same way they were eager to get a second chance at their youth and possibly get more out of life
 * 1) Who is the narrator of the story? Though he is not a participant in the experiment, the narrator relates all the details, How does he know what happened to the doctor and his friends? How certain of his facts is the narrator?

The narrator seems to be sort of floating in the air, he seems to be hearing some thoughts of the others and what every one is saying and doing. The narrator seems quite certain of his facts and seems to be a witness of everything that went on. Some different points seem to be made, some are positive and some are negative, but over all I think the fountain of youth to the narrator is a bad idea, and doesn’t exist. I think trying your youth again or having eternal life is a bad idea. 7. Some scientists hope to develop a vaccine against aging. They speculate that the human beings would live approximately 800 years. Do you feel this is desirable? Explain your answer. Me myself would not want the vaccination, I believe that we were put on this earth for a certain amount of set time and it is not to be altered with. This does not mean I will not take care of my body and not take pills to prevent infections, but I would not take drastic measures to preserve my life. Completion 5/5 Effort 4/5  Content 3.5/5  Questions 10/12 total 22.5/27
 * 1) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What points are made about youth and aging in the story? Do you agree with the views in the story? Comment