Question

Which of these sentences highlights Widow Wycherly’s vanity in Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment"?

A. As for the Widow Wycherly, tradition tells us that she was a great beauty in her day; but, for a long while past, she had lived in deep seclusion, on account of certain scandalous stories which had prejudiced the gentry of the town against her.

B. The Widow Wycherly—if so fresh a damsel could be called a widow—tripped up to the doctor's chair, with a mischievous merriment in her rosy face.

C. She stood before the mirror courtesying and simpering to her own image, and greeting it as the friend whom she loved better than all the world beside.

D. Blushing, panting, struggling, chiding, laughing, her warm breath fanning each of their faces by turns, she strove to disengage herself, yet still remained in their triple embrace.

Answer 1

The correct answer among all the other choices is C. She stood before the mirror courtesying and simpering to her own image, and greeting it as the friend whom she loved better than all the world beside. Thank you for posting you question. I hope this answer helped you. Let me know if you need more help. 

Answer 2

Answer: C. She stood before the mirror courtesying and simpering to her own image, and greeting it as the friend whom she loved better than all the world beside.

In this excerpt, we can see that the widow is a vain person. She obviously likes her image, as she stood before the mirror courtesying and smiling in a silly way. The narrator also tells us that, when she looked at herself, it seemed as if she was looking at the person she loved the most in the world. The widow obviously really likes herself, and in particular, her image.