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AmbiguityandUncertaintyinDr.Heidegger'sExperimentNathanielHawthorne'sshortstory,Dr.Heidegger'sExperiment,revealsthatpeoplehaveafutileandself-destructivedesiretorelivetheirpastsinsteadofmovingonwardandacceptingtheirfates.InDr.Heidegger'sExperiment,Hawthorneusesapointofviewthatallowsambiguitytoenterthenarration.TheunnamednarratoropensmanyaspectsofthestorytomorethanoneinterpretationandenhancestherevelationofthethemethroughuncertaintyashetellsofthereactionsoffouroldpeopletothewateroftheFountainofYouth.Thenarratorhimselfseemsunsurewhethertheeventsheisrelatinghaveevenoccurred.Wasitdelusion?heasks,Evenwhilethedraughtwaspassingdowntheirthroats,itseemedtohavewroughtachangeontheirwholesystems.CommentingonthemanytalesthathavesprunguparoundthemysteriousDr.Heidegger,thenarratorevenadmitshisownunreliability,stating,Someofthesefables,tomyshamebeitspoken,mightpossiblybetracedbacktomineownveraciousself;andifanypassagesofthepresenttaleshouldstartlethereader'sfaith,Imustbecontenttobearthestigmaofafiction-monger.Theseuncertaintiesdivorcethestory'shappeningsfromreality,enhancingtheallegoricalmeaningofthetale.ThenarratorisuncertainwhetherDr.Heidegger'sfouroldsubjectshaveattainedasecondyouth.Astheydrinkthewater,theiractionsbecomethoseofyouths,buthavetheirbodieschangedtoo?...thethreegentlemenbehavedinsuchamanner,asprovedthatthewateroftheFountainofYouthpossessedsomeintoxicatingqualities;unless,indeed,theirexhilarationofspiritsweremerelyalightsomedizziness,causedbythesuddenremovaloftheweightofyears.Whentheylosetheirnewfoundyouth,thesamedoubtsareshown:Astrangechillness,whetherofbodyorspirittheycouldnottell,wascreepinggraduallyoverthemall.They...fanciedthateachfleetingmomentsnatchedawayacharm,andleftadeepeningfurrowwherenonehadbeenbefore.Wasitanillusion?Hadthechangesofalife-timebeencrowdedintosobriefaspace...Intruth,theyhad[grownold].TheWaterofYouthpossessedmerelyavirtuemoretransientthanthatofwine.TheElixirofYouthislikenedtoanalcoholicdrink,yettheeffectsofanactuallossofage,andlateralossoftheirnew-foundyouth,arefeltinthefoursubjects.Thenarrator,andthusthereader,doesnotknowthetrueextentofDr.Heidegger'sexperiment.Thisdoesnotobscurethetruthsthatthesubjectsreactionsreveal;whateverinterpretationthereaderchooses,thethemeremains.Thisuncertaintyalsohighlightsthemultiplemeaningsofcertainlines.Whenthefouroldsubjectscry,'Arewegrownoldagain,sosoon!'theirlamentationcommentsnotonlyontheshortlengthoftheirchanceatanewyouth,butonthegeneralregretshownbyalmostanyonewhohasgrownold.Thedoubtthatthefourevergrewyoungagainhasasimilareffectontheline,Hadthechangesofalife-timebeencrowdedintosobriefaspace?Thisquestionreflectsthestunnedsentimentofanyonewhofeelsthattheirlifehasslippedawaywithouttheirevertakingnotice.Ambiguityaffectssymbolsaswell.Dr.Heidegger'smirror,ofwhichitwasfabledthatthespiritsofallthedoctor'sdeceasedpatientsdweltwithinitsverge,andwouldstarehiminthefacewhenhelookedthitherward,symbolizesregret,inDr.Heidegger'scase,ofhispastfailures.Later,themirrorreflectsthethreenow-youngmencontestingoverthefavorsoftheirpastlover.Neverwastherealivelierpictureofyouthfulrivalship,withbewitchingbeautyastheprize.Yet,bysomestrangedeception,owingtotheduskinessofthechamber,andtheantiquedresseswhichtheystillwore,thetallmirrorissaidtohavereflectedthefiguresofthreeold,gray,witheredgrand-sires,ridiculouslycontendingfortheskinnyuglinessofashriveledgrand-dam.Themirror'srevelationseemstometaphoricallyshowthedepthsofthesubjects'souls,madeoldbytheregretsoftheiryouthfulmistakes.However,theambiguityofthesituationaddsothermeanings.Doesthemirrormerelyshowthesituationasitreallyis?Arethefourstilltrulyold?Bothinterpretationscontributeequallytothetheme,showingboththedebilitatingeffectsofdwellinguponthepastandthefutilityofwishingforone'syouth.Whileitmightbethoughtthatambiguitywouldconcealthethemeofastorybehindlayersofconfusion,thetechniqueusedbyHawthorneinDr.Heidegger'sExperimentservestobringthethemeintosharprelief.