Dr.Heidegger'sExperiment

By: Moss and Angela (Only first half done together)

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

Point of View: 3rd person

Protagonist: Dr. Heidegger What type of character is the Protagonist? Round

Antagonist: Himself (Dr. Heidegger)

Describe the setting: About the 1750's because they said Ponce de Leon when to find the fountain of youth two or three centuries ago and Ponce de Leon's life span was from 1474 to 1521 so we estimated around 1500 he went to search for it. Dr Heidegger's study was dim, old-fashioned chamber, festooned with cobwebs, and besprinkled with antique dust which created an eerie and mysterious atmosphere.

Type of Conflict: Man vs. Himself

Describe the main conflict: We think that the conflict is internal because Dr. Heidegger doesn't know whether or not to drink the water because he doesn't know if it will do good or bad to him.

Describe the Climax of the Story: The climax of the story is when the four guest start arguing because of their old ways which results in the vase breaking and everything turning back to it's original form.

How does the Protagonist change over the course of the story? At the beginning he's unsure, but during the end he is confident he will not drink from the fountain.

Describe the relationship between the title and the theme.We believe the theme of the story is thought before actions because the four guests didn't think before they drank the water and didn't consider the possibility that they would dispute and go back to their old ways. This relates to the title because Dr. Heidegger's experiment was all to see how the guests would react and if they would use their mind before they gulped down the fountain's water.

How does the main conflict help to illustrate the theme? Dr. Heidegger was thinking before he drank from the fountain of youth and he got his four friends to test the water and see the reactions and effects before he drank any.

How does the climax help to illustrate the theme? Climax illustrates the theme because the four guests weren't thinking when they started arguing and knocked over the vase whereas if they were thinking before their actions they might not have drank the water to begin with.

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

Simile: "like a gouty grandfather"

Metaphor: " In the obscurest door ajar, within which doubtfully appeared a skeleton"

<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">Personification: " Their burning passions proved them so."

<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">Symbol: The dried rose was a symbol of his deceased wife, even though it was brought back temporarily, you can't change what has already happened.

<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">Foreshadowing (give both elements): As the rose began to change back to it's natural form, it foreshadows that the four guests would change back as well.

<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">Irony: The four guests hated their lives as old people and when they got the chance to change back to younger adults they misused it by repeating their mistakes, and they became old again.

<span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px;">Imagery: "It was a dim, old fashioned chamber, festooned with cobwebs and besprinkled with antique dust."

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Describe the relationships between the class theme and the story. I think the power of greed made the four guests so hastily drink the water because once they heard they could have the opportunity to become young and relive their lives as powerful people they drank the fountain water right away. Also the power of forgetfulness is very strong in this story because, first of all they already lived their lives so obviously they should somewhat remember their biggest mistakes and also before they drank Dr. Heidegger reminded them " "it would be well that, with the experience of a lifetime to direct you, you should draw up a few general rules for your guidance, in passing a second time through the perils of youth. Think what a sin and shame it would be, if, with your peculiar advantages, you should not become patterns of virtue and wisdom to all the young people of the age!" yet they already forget by the time they became young again.

1. According to Dr Heidegger, what is the purpose of his experiment? For the water from the famous Fountain of Youth to <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin: 0px;">restore to you the bloom of youth. Described as "an exceedingly curious experiment."

2. What do Dr. Heidegger's friends have in common? How does each of them behave during the experiment? In their past their were all powerful figures but as they grew old they all strongly dislike their lives. When they go through the experiment they behave very childishly by making fun of Dr. Heidegger for being old and repeating their old mistakes.

3.Why would Dr. Heidegger not stoop to bathe his lips in the fountain of youth? Do his friends feel the same way? Comment "<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin: 0px;">For my own part, having had much trouble in growing old, I am in no hurry to grow young again. " - Dr. Heidegger. His friends at first don't believe this experiment will work at all but they are willing to try it because they would rather die then be old.

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? I'd say the narrator is not too certain of the facts, because he seemed to be going along through the story as the characters did, it wasn't he knew the youth was only temporary or even that they would agree to drink the water, I think the narrator could be just another character who was there but never introduced, like a butler or the maid who overheard what was going on and had been living with Dr. Heidegger for a while and knew some facts about him.

5. What points are made about youth and aging in the story? Do you agree with the views in the story? Comment. From the story I see that people change into almost completely different people with age and appearance. I agree with the story, that this is how people would act if they became 30 years younger because if you were fifty and suddenly became 20 again, you'd have much more energy and feel more alive, there would be more things you'd be able to do and have a better mood while doing so.

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 is desirable? Explain your answer. I don't believe this is desirable, because I wouldn't want to live forever, i think humans have a life span for a reason and if we lived forever we would have nothing to do in this world. Even though some people only get to live a very short life and don't get to experience everything, I believe that would be better than living eternally and doing the same experiences over and over again.

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"> <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Completion: 5/5 <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Effort 5/5 <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Content: 4.5/5

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> total 14.5/15

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Questions Completion Mark 5/5

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> total 19.5/20