The Island Of Dr. Moreau

Bronowski, J. (2012). Science. In The Norton reader: An anthology of nonfiction (13th ed., pp. 886-889). New York: W.W. Norton

In Jeanne Fahnestock’s (1998) article “Accommodating Science: the rhetorical life of scientific facts”, she observes the distortions that occur when attempting to accommodate scientific discourse for a popular audience. Fahnestock cautions that although accommodating has its place in conveying scientific discoveries to the public, it is vital to evaluate how accommodating methods affect the accuracy of interpreting such discoveries. Through assessing the shift in genre, the shift in information and classical stasis theory, Fahnestock examines how scientific writings are altered through the process of accommodating.

John M. Barry, the author of The Great Influenza, writes about scientists and the obstacles they face. He claims that scientists are explorers in the wilderness that is science. There is no charted path to go down and no one to follow. Scientists will always be uncertain, however scientists should possess certain characteristics to overcome the doubt. He appeals to our emotions to explain the necessary characteristics a scientist has to posses. John M. Barry uses anaphoras, motifs, and pathos in his definition of what scientists do.

In John M. Barry’s “The Great Influenza” he states, “All real scientists exist on the frontier”(Barry 23). During the 1918 influenza epidemic Barry wrote “The Great Influenza” to describe the research that was happening revolving influenza. He describes different characteristic the scientist had to have researching the flu. He recognized the challenges that came with it. He also believes that if you are a scientist that you must be courageous to accept the uncertainty that comes with the job. “The Great Influenza” written by John M. Barry utilizes metaphors and descriptive diction to analyze the characteristics regarding scientist.

How do you know when you have gone too far? When did you cross the line? In the book The Island of Doctor Moreau the line was crossed. Doctor Moreau was in England, and he was performing vivisections on animals. He was changing their appearance, the way they walked, talked, and the way they believed. As soon as the public found out, he felt threatened. So he ended up leaving England, to avoid any trouble with the people or the government. He went to a island where he could do whatever he wanted without any form government to stop him. As soon as one would have to avoid a law making body to perform their experiment, one would assume that what they are doing must not be right. What are we responsible for as citizens in a free society vs. the government having to take over? Without any government to stop him, Moreau kidnapped Prendick and kept him in a room, hunted down Prendick with guns after he escaped, and he performed the experiments on the animals to change them.

Brilliant author, John M. Barry, once proclaimed, “Uncertainty makes one tentative if not fearful, and tentative steps, even when in the right direction, may not overcome significant obstacles… It is the courage to accept—indeed, embrace—uncertainty” (Barry 3-5 & 9-10). These quotes can be traced back to John M. Barry’s passage of “The Great Influenza,” where he writes an account about the 1918 flu epidemic that struck the world. In his account, he goes into further explanation about the rigors and fulfillment of being a scientist, and simultaneously, discusses the tedious process of their research. Ultimately, society is educated that the life of a scientist should not be absolute, but it should consist of persistence and courage. In John M. Barry’s “The Great Influenza,” the author employs innovative metaphors and unique rhetorical questions to portray scientific research.

“The best among [the scientists] move deep into a wilderness region where they know almost nothing, where the very tools and techniques needed to clear the wilderness, to bring order to it, do not exist” (25-29). By referencing the need “to clear the wilderness”, Barry conjures an image of a lumberjack, who heroically conquers the wilderness to nurture the advent of civilization. In a similar manner, he claims that scientists wield axes to chop away the foliage that obscure scientific discoveries opening the gateways for unparalleled growth and innovation. Moreover, Barry continues his claim by asserting that“If the researcher succeeds, a flood of colleagues will pave roads over the path laid, and those roads will be orderly and straight, taking an investigator in minutes to a place the pioneer spent months or years looking for” (Barry 49-53). Following the back-breaking labor of clearing forests, Barry muses how the “flood” of subsequent scientists lay down the bricks to form a continuous road that civilizes and tames the unknown. In addition, Barry channels the immense power of “floods” and bestows it upon scientists; this evokes the notion that scientists possess power of equal magnitude, when well-harnessed, can transform and innovate scientific research. Thus, by utilizing metaphors as a vessel to grant powers to

These examples show both the author’s and the protagonist’s challenge to the order of things and the complete belief the character has. The best example of this is on line eight when the king says that he ‘shall not give you the boat’ the man replies ‘with calm assurance’ ‘you will’.

As the story progresses, Caswell’s view on science becomes clearer and readers can determine for themselves where the line should be drawn to keep society safe.

Wells’ articles… is whether ordinary people should be allowed to know the facts and should discuss their implications” (Woolf 498). This excerpt is a prime example of the division between science and religion that was occurring throughout the time period within this book was written. Many people began to support Wells in his beliefs of scientific principles such as Darwinism. However, there were those who strongly dejected it and even became hostile that those scientific ideas were available to the public. The reason the ideas were so easily accessible were because of literary interpretation in controversial books such as The Island of Dr. Moreau.

Dehumanization can be thought of as the process of losing one’s humanity. It can further be thought of as a way to make one’s “pain and [...] individuality irrelevant” (Garvey, 141). Dr. Moreau wanted to manufacture more humans through the trampling over of the animalism in the animals he experimented on. In order to succeed in his plans, Dr. Moreau must devoid himself of all natural, human, empathy.

     Another important theme that Wells tried to convey to us was that doing experiments on humans and animals were unethical. He at first tells us of the locked room where these animals and humans were being operated. He shows that they wanted to keep it a secret until they could trust their scientific advancements in the hands of the public. It is just like today because when you find a new formula or anything you have to keep it a secret before others find out. When others find out they will and can take their ideas and experiments and I think that is why Dr. Moreau secluded himself from the public. Dr. Moreau also knew that people would not approve of his scientific studies especially in the late nineteenth century. Wells was trying to show us that Moreau was just a scientist not a mean psychotic out of control person. He wanted what every scientist wanted and that was success but he took it a little past what his culture viewed as normal. If Moreau had executed his experiments in the light of his peers in the science world he would have been persecuted. Wells tried to let this doctor run free with his experiments but found

In Wells’s The Island of Doctor Moreau, which will be referred to as TIODM, the Beast Folk are forced to live under a regime created by Dr. Moreau to control their habits. These habits include walking on four legs, eating meat, and attacking men. Perhaps the most chilling scene of the entire novel is set in the cave of the abused former beasts turned into humanesque simpletons. The main character, Prendick, follows one of them, the Ape Man, back to their hovel, initiating himself into their world. “‘Not to chase other Men; that is the Law. Are we not Men? Not to eat Flesh or Fish; that is the Law. Are we not Men” chant the mutilations of nature, illustrating the vicious control that Moreau keeps upon his creations (75). Moreau focuses his Godlike

An old proverb says: “A good friend listens to your adventures. A best friend makes them with you.” H.G. Well’s book The Island of Dr. Moreau depicts Prendick’s journey as a roller coaster ride. Montgomery, an assistant of Moreau, saved Prendick’s life and welcomed him to the unknown island. By openly conversing, they both discovered their shared interest in science. After living and experiencing the different aspects of the island, Prendick finds out that Moreau performs vivisection, which is the practice of doing dissections on live animals for the purpose of research and experimentation. Convinced that he will be next in line, Prendick attempts suicide. Moreau and Montgomery wondered why Prendick would do this

The Island of Dr Moreau, by H.G. Wells, is not an ordinary science fiction novel. It doesn't deal with aliens or anything from outer space, but with biological science that exists on earth. The novel was about a character, Edmund Prendick that gets involved with an island of experimentation. At first glance, this tropical paradise seems idyllic. But deep in the jungles lies a terrifying secret. Moreau and Montgomery have been performing scientific research on human beings and the experiment goes terribly wrong. They have ignored the most fundamental law of the jungle: survival of the fittest. The doctor is seeking to make animals half human by means of vivisectional surgery; the transplantation of organs, and the pain involved is very