What do you believe is Hawthorne’s purpose
in writing this story?
To what extent do you agree with this
message?
Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment is a story of
delusion and deception that conveys the theme of people’s pettyfoolishness. The
story follows a particular Dr. Heidegger and his experiment to transform his
guests from old age to youth. During the short period in which the guests
retained their youth, they seem to reflect their past selves, in which they act
immature and careless. The transformation proves to be merely a fleeting
illusion, much to the despair of his guests. Given the chance to relive their
lives, they resorted to going back to their mistakes, disregarding the
experiences they had gathered over their lifetime. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne
conveys the theme of people’s foolishness, as portrayed by Dr. Heidegger’s
guest and their lack of understanding in how to treasure their regained youth.
It is only when the vase glass shattered and the water from the fountain of
youth spilled did they notice their mistakes in foolish quarrels. I believe
that it is human nature to argue for the trivial, such as distinctions of
class, gender, race, while beneath it all, we are all equal. Instead, we should
be focusing on the larger, more significant aspects of life that can improve
society as a whole.
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