Dr+Heidegger's+Experiment


 * The narrator of this story s ** Short Stories - Literary Devises Title: Dr Heidegger's Experiment

** Point of View: ** I believe the point of view is first person because the story is being told from inside the story, from a knowledgeable person whom was not written about. I believe the narrator was Fully Omniscient because of the quote "And before I proceed any further, I will merely hint that Dr. Heidegger and all of his four guests were sometimes thought to be a little beside themselves; as is not infrequently the case with old people, when worried either by present troubles or woeful recollections." This states that he knows about what happens in the future, thus making it Omniscient.

** Protagonist: ** I believe the protagonist of this story is Dr. Heidegger because he seems to be the main character of the story, and who the stories life revolves around, and the story is also named after him. He changes his thinking at the end of the experiment when he discoveries his conclusion.

** What type of character is the Protagonist? ** I believe the character is Flat with, "Rounded Edges" and Static with minimal Dynamics. I think this because there is only slight "depth" with what the character had gone through in the past. You had to infer things about him that you wouldn't need to in a Round and Dynamic character. There is little change in what the character thinks which is why I labeled him as Static.

** Antagonist: ** I believe the antagonist of this story is Life. The main character was saddened by the circle of life, as it seems he has lost someone really close to him. Life has also been effecting the other characters in this story,

** Describe the setting ** I feel the setting of this story is in a living room, with a warm, and comforting atmosphere. Anticipation and Anxiety are wafting through the air as the men sit, waiting for the Doctor to explain himself.

** Type of Conflict: ** I believe the type of conflict is Person vs. Environment (Life). I think this because the people in the room had something they either regret, or are saddened by something that was out of their control. Rather that be their physical age, or events that happend in the past, they all had a reason to be where they were.

** Describe the main conflict: ** I believe the main conflict was when the people realize that they are in fact old, and can never really be young again. They got a taste of their youth, and are sad and depressed when they can't go back.

** Describe the Climax of the Story: ** I believe the Climax of the story is when the vase is knocked off the table.

** How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story? ** The protagonist changes very little over the course of this story. The changing that happened to Dr. Heidegger was when he found the conclusion to his experiment, and learned that even with a second chance of going back to their youth, humans just wont learn.

** Describe the relationship between the title and the theme. ** I think the title (Dr. Heidegger's Experiment) does not relate to closely to the theme. I believe the theme of the story was that people do not know what they have until they have lost it. The test subjects relate to this because they have lost their childhood, and wish desperately to get it back, but while they were there, they had no such ideas. I think Dr. Heidegger had a painful event revolving a loved ones passing some time before the story took place, and he never really appreciated it for what it was. The title does not really relate to this theme, as he was conducting an experiment, in which we have to infer his hypothesis, and biased opinions.

** How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme? ** The main conflict of when they are old and can never be young again helps illustrate the theme because even when they were turned back to their youth, they went back to their naive ways and forgot that they had to cherish what they got back, but instead they fought over a women, which then turned to violence. When they were turned back old, they realize they had made the same mistake twice, and it saddens them a great deal.

** How does the climax help to illustrate the theme? ** I believe the Climax helps illustrate the theme because when the vase was knocked off the table, all the subjects turned back into their old selves, where they realize that they had made the same mistake twice. The spilled water was caused by violence, something where they had the knowledge and experience not to repeat.

** 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."

**Metaphor:** "She examined whether the snow had so entirely melted from her hair, that the venerable cap could be safely thrown aside."

** Personification: **"Assuredly there was an almost immediate improvement in the aspect of the party, not unlike what might have been produced by a glass of generous wine, __together with a sudden glow of cheerful sunshine brightening over all their visages at once__."

** Symbol: **I think the rose is a symbol for what will happen to the subjects if they drank the enticing elixar. It makes the subjects assume that it has true, rejuvenating powers.

** Foreshadowing (give both elements): ** The rose is in fact a literall foreshadow to what will happen to the subjects in the future. Usually a foreshadow is something only the reader knows, but I think in this case, the characters can know of it as well. The second part to this foreshadow is when the subjects start to see the effects of these things too.

** Irony: ** I found that the fact that these people had grown up past their youth, and have so much experience in the world, that when they do become once again youthful, they return to their naive ways.

**Imagery:** "There, in fact, stood the four glasses, brimful of the wonderful water, the delicate spray of which, as it effervesced from the surface, resembled the tremulous glitter of diamonds."

**1. According to Dr. Heidegger, what is the purpose of his experiment? ** I believe the purpose of his experiment was to see if the elixir was in fact capable of transforming the subjects back into their cheery youth-selves, whilst still keeping the intelligence and experience of full grown human beings.

**2. What do Dr. Heidegger’s friends have in common? How does each of them behave during the experiment? ** All of the guests who Dr. Heidegger had come to his home have many the same characteristics. They all had mishaps in their childhood which have either effected their future, or damaged their past. They want a second chance in getting that back, but during the experiment, the males go back to the lusting teenagers they once were, and the female goes back loving the attention of the guys fighting over her.

**3. Why would Dr Heidegger not stoop to bathe his lips in the fountain of youth? Do his friends feel the same way? Comment. ** Dr. Heidegger accepted death as a part of life, and that he would not dare disturb the cycle. He was still curious however of the effects of this syrum, so he invites people over that might have a better chance in taking it. His friends feel that they were robbed of their childhood and that they had a chance to make it better, but realistically, they repeated the same mistakes they did when they were children. **4. 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 is facts is the narrator? **    I believe the narrator of this story is Dr. Heidegger's dead spouse. I think this because the narrator is obviously omniscient of the situation and telling the story as if they were there, but in fact is never mentioned in the story as a character. I believe since the narrator is a ghost, she was telling the story of what happend that day. The narrator never missed a beat on the facts that he spewed out. It was as if she was really there, listening to the men and experiencing what they felt. **5. What points are made about youth and aging in this story? Do you agree with the views in the story? Comment. ** Different points were made about aging in this story. Some were named that you don't know what you are missing until it is gone. It directly relates to youth because when your a kid, all you want to do is grow up. When your a grown up, all you want to be is a kid. Other things include that Man Kind does not learn from their mistakes. They see mistakes and call them as they see it, but do not learn from them. That is why the subjects just repeated their mistakes they made when they were a kid.

**7. Some scientists hope to develop a vaccine against aging. They speculate that human beings could live approximately 800 years. Do you feel this is desirable? Explain your answer. **

I think it would have to depend on a lot of factors. Would you age normally until you are 800? because if 650 years of those 800 are you being a vegetable, I don't think I would want that. It would have to be an age slowing syrum, instead of an age longing. If that syrum would be created, and my family and pets could take it as well, I would definitely take it. There is nothing wrong with living 800 years, you could teach people 800 years in the future what life was like back then! COMPLETION 5/5 EFFORT 5/5 CONTENT 5/5 QUESTIONS 12/12 TOTAL 27/27