Question

dr. heidegger’s 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, and the widow wycherly, had once been on the point of cutting each other’s 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.”

10 of 10
which quote from the passage is the best example of the author’s point of view?
a “when the doctor’s four guests heard him talk of his proposed experiment, they anticipated nothing more wonderful than the murder of a mouse in an air pump...” (paragraph 6)
b “‘nonsense!’ said the widow wycherly, with a peevish toss of her head. ‘you might as well ask whether an old woman’s wrinkled face could ever bloom again.’ (paragraph 8)
c the sunshine came through the window, between the heavy festoons of two faded damask curtains, and fell directly across this vase, so that a mild splendor was reflected from it on the ashen visages of the five old people who sat around. (paragraph 4)
d if all stories were true, dr. heidegger’s study must have been a very curious place. it was a dim, old - fashioned chamber, festooned with cobwebs, and besprinkled with antique

Explanation:

To determine the author's point of view quote, we analyze each option:

• Option A: This is a quote from the guests’ perspective (they anticipated...), not the author’s.
• Option B: This is Widow Wycherly’s dialogue, representing a character’s point of view.
• Option C: This describes the setting (sunshine, curtains) in a neutral, descriptive tone typical of an author’s narrative voice, presenting the scene from the author’s observational perspective.
• Option D: This is a hypothetical or interpretive statement about the study, not direct authorial narration of the scene.

Answer:

C. The sunshine came through the window between the heavy festoons of two faded damask curtains, and fell directly across this vase, so that a mild splendor was reflected from it on the ashen visages of the five old people who sat around. (paragraph 4)