Dr. Heidegger's Experiment, By Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne spends most of the first paragraph of his short story, Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment, describing the main characters. This sets the stage for the plot. Dr. Heidegger reunites four people, Mr. Medbourne, Colonel Killigrew, Mr. Gascoigne, and Widow Wycherly, who once knew each other, but since then, they have all experienced great misfortune. Mr. Medbourne was a “prosperous merchant,” but became “little better than a mendicant” after frantic speculation. Meanwhile, Colonel Killigrew now experienced a “brood of pains” and “other torments of the soul and body” because he spent his youth “in pursuit of sinful pleasures.” Mr. Gascoigne lived as a ruined politician and wasn’t even infamous, he was just forgotten. Finally, Widow Wycherly
lived in “deep seclusion” after scandal surrounded her. The three men were lovers of Widow Wycherly and fought over her. Due to all of their mistakes, Dr. Heidegger brings them together because he has a way to give them a second chance to change what happened when they were young. This gives motive for the plot. The five characters all meet in Dr. Heidegger’s study. It is described just as you would expect from a doctor's study, especially a doctor like Heidegger, full of books, dust, and relics. It also has a vase filled with water from the Fountain of Youth. Hawthorne describes a portrait of the doctor’s late fiance, which explains why the doctor doesn’t keep the liquid from the Fountain of Youth all for himself. Dr. Heidegger has no desire or motive to be young again, unlike his guests, because his love died a long time ago. The fact that Dr.
Heidegger’s guests all knew each other and had a previous conflict is what makes his experiment so interesting. They also all had experienced unfortunate circumstances that gives them a reason for being there. Dr. Heidegger wants to give them another chance at youth so they can avoid the mistakes of the past. However, they ruin their opportunity for this when past conflicts revive and once again, the three men are fighting over Widow Wycherly. During this quarrel, they knock over the liquid taken from the Fountain of Youth and the effects of what they did have to drink didn’t last long. History repeats itself and they all ruin their second chance with their childish behavior. Though, it was partially not their fault because the liquid from the Fountain of Youth had intoxicating effects. Yet, they had not learned or been aware of what could happen while they were all fooling around. The whole purpose of this story is that it’s a metaphor for the message Hawthorne wants to share. People should spend their youth wisely, be wise with the opportunities they have, and learn from your experiences. This is shown through Dr. Heidegger’s four guests and the disadvantaged they experienced during their youth. The message is also shown through the fact that the vase filled with the water from the Fountain of Youth fell over during the men’s quarrel. They were being irresponsible and foolish, which could indicate to the readers that they didn’t grow with their
experiences.

Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment has a message and plot that goes hand in hand with dark romantic values. Dark romantics like Nathaniel Hawthorne had themes of guilt and sin in their writing and this short story has major focus on that. The four guests all had guilt that they wasted their youth on sin and scandal. Dr. Heidegger gave them a chance to learn from their mistakes and make some good come from the wrongdoings of their youth. Also, Dr. Heidegger’s goodness is what allows this to happen and dark romantics deal with good and evil in their writing. Dark romantics ponder whether the individual is born good or evil, or gets corrupted or redeemed with society keeping them in line. That is a major aspect of this story that a reader could think about.