Comparing Nathaniel Hawthorne :: essays papers

Dr Heideggers investigateAn eccentric mountdness physician, Dr. Heidegger, calls together his oldfriends and contemporaries to test his waters of the fountain ofyouth. As the doctor himself sits by to enjoy the show, each of hisfour aged friends eagerly quaffs more and more of the magic potion,each draught further carrying them backwards into their shared youth.Having breakn young, smooth-skinned and agile again, the three men beginto postulate for the favors of the fourth compatriot now restored to herformer beauty. In the heat of the fracas, they begin to grow tired andwithin minutes the effect of the waters has worn away. Theparticipants in the brief respite from old age are devastated by thetransitoriness of the experience. Despite Heideggers warning that he haslearned to appreciate the advantage of age by watching the four of themmake themselves fools, they learned no such lesson and resolve to makea pilgrimage to Florida to seek the Fountain.The birthmarkA devoted scien tist, in a brief step from his laboratory pursuits,marries a beautiful woman with a single physical flaw a birthmark onher face. Aylmer becomes obsessed with the imperfection and needs toremove it, to be happy with his wife. The tale evolves around hisprogressive frenzy to use his scientific skills to render his brideperfect and the faith of his submissive wife that the union quite a little surviveonly if he accomplishes his goal. The author tells us that Aylmer haddevoted himself, however, as well unreservedly to scientific studies...and, in the secrecy of his laboratory he prepares the potion forGeorgiana that results in the disappearance of the birthmark and thedeath of Aylmers experimental subject.ComparisonDr. Heideggers Experiment and The Birthmark can be compared inmany aspects. Nathaniel Hawthorne used many of the like writingtechniques in both stories. Both pieces share two commons reoccuringthemes. Also, the symbols in the story have like meanings. In bothDr. Heideg gers Experiment and The Birthmark, Hawthorne uses thesame writing style. In both stories Nathaniel Hawthorne writes as arealist, as opposed to a romancer. In Dr. Heideggers ExperimentHawthorne writes about an existent event in history, Ponce de Leonssearch for the Fountain of Youth on the Florida Peninsula. It does notmatter if the Fountain of Youth exists or not it is a real legend.Dr Heideggers Experiment is a situation that could have takenplace. It is not a fantasy. The Birthmark is also a piece thatcould have happened. A beautiful woman could certainly be born with a