Symbolism In "Dr. Heidegger'S Experiment"

Have you ever read a book that follows the same guidelines as another book? When you have a character and they may have something good happen to them which causes something bad to happen, but at the end it begins to turn good again. Or it could be the complete opposite, something bad happen, then something good, then something bad again. Many stories, plays, books and movies follow those guidelines, and used symbolism too. It may be a rose, butterfly or a mirror. In, "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment," Nathaniel Hawthorne uses three different types of symbolism to analyze the Life/Death/Life motif.

A rose, withered or fresh, has always symbolized something. A withered rose symbolizes death to life, secrecy and passion, and a fresh new rose symbolizes life, secrecy, mystery, love and passion.

"...now the green leaves and crimson petals had assumed one brownish hue, and the ancient flower seemed ready to crumble to dust in the doctor's hand...". Nathaniel Hawthorne goes into great detail about how this withered

Rose and how it symbolizes death to life about how Dr. Heidegger received that rose from his lover. Nathaniel Hawthorne also uses great description and symbolism when he talks about the revived rose. He states that the crushed and dried petals stirred and assumed a deepening tinge of crimson, as if the flower were reviving from a deathlike slumber: the slender stalks and twigs of foliage became green; and there was a rose of half a century, looking as fresh as when Dr. Heidegger's lover had given it to him. As you can see, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the fresh rose to symbolize passion and love. Later on in the story, Nathaniel Hawthorne also describes the withering rose again. He says something along the lines of, it continued to shrivel up, till it became as dry and fragile as when the doctor had first thrown it into the vase. As you can see, Nathaniel Hawthorne makes reference to the withered rose again.

A Butterfly symbolizes immortality, soul, and life/death/life.

"The precious Water of Youth flowed in a bright stream across the floor, moistening the wings of a butterfly, which, grown old in the decline of summer, had alighted there to die. The insect fluttered lightly thought the chamber and settled on the snowy head of Dr. Heidegger." Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the butterfly to symbolize Death to life and immortality in that caption. Nathaniel Hawthorne also uses the butterfly to symbolize death. He says the butterfly fluttered down from the doctor's snowy head and fell upon the floor. In that statement, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses