In Hawthorne’s story “Dr.Heidegger’s Experiment” Hawthorne combines an interesting myth with characters, setting and events that stand for moral qualities. Each character in the story in their old age; represents a quality or characteristic. Mr. Medbourne represents spontaneous action; Colonel Killigrew represents lust and indulgment; Mr.Gascoigne represents failure; Widow Wycherly displays vanity and Dr.Heidegger, representing curiosity and wisdom. Each of these characters is used to help represent an allegory displayed by the story. But what they debate is whether or not when a person grows old, should they look back on their failures and wish they could grow young again to remedy them, grow young to take a different path, or should they look to the future for new experiences and chances. In his story, Hawthorne is trying to make an allegorical point that one must look to the future, not to the past for new experiences and surprises.                 

            Looking to the past is displayed in this story through the Fountain of Youth. Something such as the Fountain of Youth would make people overly greedy. Such is what happens in Dr.Heideggers expirement. When each of these characters drink, they ask for more, wishing to become young all at once.      Colonel Killigrew displays this point best when he becomes young again. He wasted away his life in sinful pleasures and now that he is young again, he tries to woo Widow Wycherly. He and the other men also tried to do this when they were young as well. They didn’t learn then either.  Meanwhile, Widow Wycherly who is vain, is amazed to find herself beautiful again, flaunts her newfound looks to court all the men. But by doing this, she gives herself another chance at future scandals. She spends her time looking at herself in the mirror. She selfishly comments to herself on how wonderful she looks, but not those around her. Mr.Medbourne who is spontaneous, immediately wants more youth. He wishes to stay young continues to drink, not bothering to realize that spontaneous action is what brought about his downfall before. He believes that youth will give him the chance to drag icebergs to the west to make fresh water. And then there is Mr.Gascoigne who was a failure in his youth. He saw this as a second chance at life, but never looked to realize why he failed in the first place. And with the gift of youth he begins composing new speeches.