This three-sentence summary provides an overview of the key elements and themes in Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment": The story describes an experiment conducted by Dr. Heidegger where he has four elderly guests drink water from a mysterious vase in an attempt to regain their youth; the vase and its water represent symbolic allegorical elements and the story explores themes of the supernatural, foreshadowing, and high emotional feelings in an attempt to impart a moral lesson to the reader.

1. DR. HEIDEGGER’S
EXPERIMIENT
By Nathaniel Hawthorne

2. WATCH THE STORY

3. -A story or poem in which characters, settings,
and events stand for abstract ideas or moral
qualities
-Allegorical characters are often one-
dimensional, since they are meant to represent
only a particular aspect of human nature
-Allegories also contain a moral

4. Characters:
-Dr. Heidegger
-Mr. Medbourne
-Colonel Killigrew
-Mr. Gascoigne
-Widow Wycherly
Describe the characters and quote to support your views

6. The Rose
The Mirror
Water
The skeleton
What do they symbolize?

8. Dr. Heidegger’s study
-Describe the place.
-Quote to prove your ideas

9. -THE SUPERNATURAL
-OMENS/FORESHADOWING
-HIGH EMOTIONAL FEELINGS
-WOMEN IN DISTRESS
Find evidence for this in the text

10. Mention 2 themes and support ideas
with the text

11. -Is there a "moral" to this story? If so, what is it?
What is the point of the first-person narration here (as opposed to
third-person)?
-Do you take the narrator to be Hawthorne, or some fictional
character?
-Is "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" meant to be funny at all?
Where do you see humor in this text, and what is the effect of
such humor on your reading of the story?
-Is Dr. Heidegger a likeable character? A sinister one? As a
reader, do you relate more to him or to his guests?
-You've heard us argue both sides, but what's your final answer –
is the water in the vase really from the Fountain of Youth, or does
Dr. Heidegger just get his guests drunk?