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Dr Heidegger's Experiment by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1837) - Coggle…
Dr Heidegger's Experiment by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1837)
Historical / Cultural background
1837 in western world (Europe and USA)
extremely religious / not heard of evolution and Darwins Origin of the Species
Strong belief in the supernatural
Setting
within the study of Dr. heidegger
study: full of mystery + curiosity
large wall hanging of Dr. Heidegger's deceased fiancée
mirror with some peculiar properties
bronze bust of Hippocrates
Style of writing
Tittle gives clues to the story's meaning - Doctor: man of science
Characters: important people names - connected in some way to 'high living'
Gothic elements
Gloomy atmosphere - gothic mood as the story progresses :
"melancholy old creatures, who had been unfortunate in life, and whose greatest misfortune it was, that they were not long ago in their graves."
"it was fabled that the spirits of all the doctor's deceased patients dwelt within its verge, and would stare him in the face whenever he looked thitherward."
Ghosts and hauntings are classic Gothic elements.
When Dr. Heidegger revives the rose, essentially bringing it back from the dead, this is a Gothic element. It is a supernatural event also when the characters transform from old to young
Symbolism dominates the text
Major characters
Bronze bust of Hippocrates
Water
Rose
Mirror
Skeleton in the closet
The black book of magic
Narration
First person narration
Themes
Human nature is innately prone to sin
Appearence vs reality
Freytag's pyramid
Rising action
H tells thim that it happened thanks to the water from the fountain of youth, they all want to have some of that water. They have some they become young and they demand more. He denies it.
Climax
Wycherly asks H to dance he refuses a fight starts between the 3 guest men, they knock over the vase with the magic water. The rose goes back to the original state.
Narrative hook
H asks the guests if the flower his wife gave him could bloom again, guests laugh and then get amazed as he makes it bloom again
Falling action
The guests start to transform back to the old people they were, ther are upset
Exposition
Dr. H invites 4 guests to his study for an experiment
Resolution
The 4 guests havent learnt a leson so they take a tripo to Florida in search of the Fountain.
Characters
Dr Heidegger
brilliant scientist
married the love of his life / died before wedding due to illness. He tried to cure her but he ended up killing her
dubious reputation / manipulative
PRIDE
Mr Medbourne
was a prosperous merchant he lost his fortune became a beggar
GREED
Colonel Killigrew
wasted his life in the pursuit of sinful pleasures
Likes Widow Wycherly
sinful pleasures: women and drinking
LUST
Mr Gascoigne
ruined politician achivied an evil reputation
Liar and manipulative
HYPOCRISY
Widow Wycherly
was beautiful / had previous relationships with the other 3 guests
married and had multiple affairs
loves herself
Loves the attention from men
VANITY