Dr.+Heidegger's+Experiment

__ Point of View: __ The point of view is third person/omniscient.

__ Protagonist: __ Dr. Heidegger is the protagonist.

__What type of character is the Protagonist?__ The protagonist is a round and dynamic character.

__Antagonist:__ The water from the fountain of youth is the antagonist, as it ends up bringing them back to their old, grizzled selves.

__Describe the setting:__ However the exact location of the tale may be unknown, it is set sometime during the 1800's, and has a very eerie vibe to it.

__Type of Conflict:__ The type of conflict which occurs most in this story is a man vs the supernatural type conflict.

__Describe the main conflict:__ The main conflict is between the four old people and the 'magical' qualities that the fountain of youth possesses. Near the end of the story, each of the men has consumed enough of the water that they are literally at each other's throats trying to win the heart of the widow.

__Describe the Climax of the Story:__ The climax of the story is when the vase is broken, as everything goes downhill from that point; the rose decays, the butterfly ceases flight, and the four 'young' ones are restored to their gray-haired, wrinkly old selves.

__How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story?__ Dr. Heidegger becomes more competent in his knowledge of the fountain of youth, and discovers that it is not meant for humans' benefit.

__Describe the relationship between the title and the theme:__ The title 'Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" is referring directly to his assessment of his subjects' behavior.

__How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme?__ The conflict between the four old souls and the supernatural abilities of the fountain of youth helps to illustrate the theme of experimentalism by first, displaying the effects upon the subjects, and secondly, by showing the lesson learnt by the one experimenting.

__How does the climax help to illustrate the theme?__ The climax helps to illustrate the theme by triggering the effects that the four young people experience before becoming old again.

__**Give examples of each of the following literary terms in the story:**__

__Simile:__ "They felt like new-created beings, in a new-created universe."

__Metaphor:__ "They were all melancholy old creatures..."

__Personification:__ "...while the brazen head of Hippocrates frowned and said-"Forbear!"

__Symbol:__ The supposed 'skeleton' in Dr. Heidegger's closet may be a symbol that he is hiding something.

__Foreshadowing (give both elements):__ The effects of withered rose being placed in the water are considered foreshadowing, because the same thing is yet to happen when the old people drink the water.

__Irony:__ An example of irony in this story is when the guests were mocking the elderly. Truthfully, they were old too.

__Imagery:__ Gloomy, dreary, ancient, creepy, spooky, sinister, foreboding.

__Describe the relationships between the class theme and the story:__ The majority of the story revolves around the choices Dr. Heidegger and his guests make; if his friends hadn't made the foolish decision to drink more of the water, they may have still remained young, and also have some left over water.

1. //__According to Dr. Heidegger, what is the purpose of his experiment?__// According to Dr. Heidegger, the purpose of the experiment was to see what effects the fountain of youth has on humans.

2. //__What do Dr. Heidegger's friends have in common? How does each of them behave during the experiment?__// Dr. Heidegger's friends all have one thing in common; each of them has lived a long, sad, and unfulfilling life. Because of this, the behavior they demonstrated during the experiment was very similar to one another; once they realized the effects the water had on their appearance, they all immediately asked for more of it, and they went back to making the exact same mistakes they made when they were younger.

3. __//Why would Dr. Heidegger not stoop to bath his lips in the Fountain of Youth? Do his friends feel the same way?//__ Dr. Heidegger would not drink from the Fountain of Youth because he felt it had taken him long enough to reach the ripe old age he was at. There is also the possibility that he disliked who he was at a young age. His friends did not feel the same way- in fact, they felt quite the opposite. Any given one of them would have sacrificed everything to be the radiant person they once were.

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 his facts is the narrator?__// There are many options as to who the narrator is. He could be someone who merely happened to witness the experiment, or maybe he was just a close relative or friend of the doctor. There is also the slight possibility that the narrator was Dr. Heidegger himself. The reader is lead to think this because the narrator seems to have endless knowledge of Dr. Heidegger and often is aware of his thoughts.

5. //__What points are made about youth and aging in the story? Do you agree with the views in the story?__// One of the story's main points is that youth can be foolish, and become less so with age. I have mixed feelings about this statement; although the young can seem witless at times, adults often make mistakes as well. Plus, one only becomes more senile with age.

7. //__Some scientists hope to develop a vaccine against aging. They speculate that human beings could then live approximately 800 years. Do you feel this desirable?__// I do not see this as a desirable concept at all. My first reason is that the well-being of our planet is already crumbling before us, and if we continue to treat it the way we do now, it will be a wreck within one hundred years. Secondly, I imagine that boredom would eventually get to you; so much that you would rather be dead anyway.

 Completion 5/5  Effort 3.5/5  Content 4/5

 Total 12.5/15

 Questions Completion Mark 5/5

 Total 17.5/20