Question

dr. heideggers experiment
nathaniel hawthorne
1 that very singular man, old dr. heidegger, once invited four venerable friends to meet him in his study. there were three white - bearded gentlemen, mr. medbourne, colonel killigrew, and mr. gascoigne, and a withered gentlewoman, whose name was the widow wycherly. they were all melancholy old creatures, who had been unfortunate in life, and whose greatest misfortune it was that they were not long ago in their graves. it is a circumstance worth mentioning that each of these three old gentlemen, mr. medbourne, colonel killigrew, and mr. gascoigne, were early lovers of the widow wycherly, and had once been on the point of cutting each others throats for her sake. and, before proceeding further, i will merely hint that dr. heidegger and all his four guests were sometimes thought to be a little beside themselves, -- as is not unfrequently the case with old people, when worried either by present troubles or woeful recollections.
2 my dear old friends, said dr. heidegger, motioning them to be seated, i am desirous of your assistance in one of those little experiments with which i amuse myself here in my study.
3 if all stories were true, dr. heideggers study must have been a very curious place. it was a dim, old - fashioned chamber, festooned with cobwebs, and besprinkled with antique dust. around the walls stood several oaken bookcases, the lower shelves of which were filled with rows of gigantic folios and black - letter quartos, and the upper with little parchment - covered duodecimos. over the central bookcase was a bronze bust of hippocrates, with which, according to some authorities, dr. heidegger was accustomed to hold consultations in all difficult cases of his practice. in the obscurest corner of the room stood a tall and narrow oaken closet, with its door ajar, within which doubtfully appeared a skeleton. between two of the bookcases hung a looking - glass, presenting its high and dusty plate within a tarnished gilt frame. among many wonderful stories related of this mirror, it was railed that the spirits of all the doctors deceased patients dwelt within its verge, and would stare him in the face whenever he looked thitherward. the opposite side of the chamber was ornamented with the full - length portrait of a young lady, arrayed in the faded magnificence of silk, satin, and brocade, and with a visage as faded as her dress. above half a century ago, dr. heidegger had been on the point of marriage with this young lady, but, being affected
vampire novels, horror films and magical wonderlands are the popular culture for todays teens. millions of dollars are spent on entertainment to find out more about jason, shrek, and bella, just to name a few. however, harry was not the first to wow teens with his sleight of hand.
which universal theme topic links dr heideggers experiment with the popular teenage culture of today?
a the hero
b good versus evil
c the supernatural
d conflict between self and society

Explanation:

To determine the universal theme, analyze the options:

• Option A (the hero): "Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment" and the teen culture examples (vampire novels, etc.) don't focus on heroic figures.
• Option B (good versus evil): There's no clear conflict of good vs. evil in either the story or the teen culture context provided.
• Option C (the supernatural): "Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment" has elements like a mysterious experiment and supernatural - like occurrences (e.g., the mirror with spirits). The teen culture examples (vampire novels, magical wonderlands) are also centered around supernatural themes.
• Option D (conflict between self and society): Neither the story nor the teen culture context emphasizes a conflict between an individual and society.

So, the supernatural theme links both.

Answer:

C. the supernatural