"The Island of Dr. Moreau"

Paper Summary:

This paper reviews the book "The Island of Dr. Moreau" by H.G. Wells about a world where science has overtaken society, with the scientist becoming like a God. It examines how it is an important book for several reasons, one of those being the relevance of the themes it presents and how these themes are especially important in the modern world as questions of genetic engineering and human cloning become public concerns. It examines some of the themes in the book such as the question of morality in science, the role of science in society, science versus religion and the final question of what separates humans from beasts. It shows how each of these themes are important ones in the novel and each offer a warning to all people about what role science plays in our own world.

From the Paper:

"Wells also creates the link between science and religion, showing that science can cause individuals to feel so powerful that they begin to think they can replace God. This is shown to be the case where the creatures chant, "His is the House of Pain. "His is the Hand that makes. "His is the Hand that wounds. "His is the Hand that heals."" (Wells XII). These chantings show that Moreau has become the law, controlling these creatures as if he is God. Moreau also sees himself as a God because of his ability to control life, this ability in the form of his scientific knowledge. Ultimately though, it is seen that Moreau is unable to control life as he believes he can. Science does not become an effective replacement for religion."

More papers on "The Island of Dr. Moreau":

• Analytical Essay # 4950 : "The Island of Dr. Moreau" and the Creation of an Artificial Man"
• Essay # 3998 : "H.G. Wells"
• Essay # 43971 : "HG Wells"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: