Compare and Contrast: Dr. Heidigger Vs. Colonel Killigrew

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing, specifically “Dr. Heidigger’s Experiment” all of his protagonists are overly-intellectual male characters that are assisted by female characters. Colonel Killigrew and Dr. Heidigger perfectly represent two of Hawthorne’s overly-intellectual male characters; they react differently towards the water, have their own personality and have made past and present mistakes that have influenced their lives.

Colonel Killigrew has a different reaction to the water because of one reason, he tried the water and Dr. Heidigger just watched while Killigrew, Medbourne, Wycherly and Gascoigne drink the water from the Fountain of Youth. Colonel Killigrew was very eager to have a second glass of water for the obvious reason of feeling youthful again. He begins to flirt with Widow Wycherly with the line of, “My dear widow, you are charming.” (Hawthorne 2) later he asks her for a dance and gets into a fight with the other gentleman, excluding Dr. Heidigger. While everyone was doing their own event; Medbourne