. Moreau Essay, Research Paper
Everywhere in popular culture today, one finds deep-rooted anxieties about science, technology,
and the fate of the human species. Thus, in recent films such as The Fly, Jurassic Park, Species, Godzilla, and Deep Blue Sea, as well as in shows such as Prey and, of course, The X-Files, the focus is on biological
mutations, experiments gone awry, and the creation of monstrosities.
Such media texts are responding, in part, to chemically saturated, increasingly synthetic, ozone
thinning, global warming world that has produced frogs with one eye or five legs, encephalitic babies,
lower sperm counts in men, and diseased and diminished human beings affected by environmental
chemicals that mimic their hormones and disrupt biological processes. They are also articulating fears
of a powerful technoscience developed without restraint in the service of profit.
Already, science has engineered overgrown mice, cows, and pigs; “pharmed” crippled animals to exploit as drug factories for human medicine; bred millions of acres of genetically modified crops (some mixed with viruses and bacteria) that are spreading beyond control, polluting neighboring fields, cross-breeding with weedy relatives, harming insects and animals in laboratory tests, threatening famine and disease. At the same time, xenotransplantation, the mixing of animal blood and organs with humans, continues to erode species boundaries and portends new plagues.
But one great writer caught these changes in his perceptual traps well before they happened, and that was H.G. Wells, who created what Isaac Asimov called the “science-fiction breakthrough.” Well’s “breakthrough” was his earthly vision that science and technology could transgress the “laws” of nature and create entirely new species from disparate materials, resulting in terrible and unforeseeable consequences. The changes soon to be effected in nature and humanity were anticipated in The Time Machine (1895), which concerns the entropic collapse of human civilization, sharply divided between two warring species/classes (the privileged Eloi who live above ground vs. the super-exploited, subterranean Morlocks), in an allegory of nineteenth century class struggle that mutates into unbridgeable biological differences, such as eugenics might someday create.
But The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896), is Wells’ canonical statement of a coming rupture in life processes. A multifaceted exploration, it is a powerful protest against the self-proclaimed right of science to experiment on animals and to engineer new life forms, a critique of dangerous utopian visions of “human perfection,” and a profound meditation on the psychic conflicts tearing apart humanity. Above all, it foregrounds what may happen when science recklessly tampers with genetics and disturbs intricate natural processes that have evolved over billions of years.
Forced to relocate his barbaric animal experiments to a remote Pacific island when exposed by a journalist, Moreau undauntingly advances his project to create new life forms, much as the infamous Dr. Richard Seed has vowed to continue his research into cloning humans in Japan or wherever necessary. Moreau describes his island as a “kind of Bluebeard’s chamber,” an apt description for vivisection laboratories around the world whose hallways echo with the shrieks of brutalized animals.
In fact, Wells not only gave voice to outrage growing in nineteenth century England against vivisection, he anticipated the logical extension of these atrocities in the near future, as the fictional crimes of Dr. Moreau progressed into the real horrors of Dr. Mengele. In the words of Edward Prendrick, the hapless traveler marooned on Moreau’s island, Wells asks the terrible question, “could the vivisection of men be possible?” We know now — through Auschwitz; the Tuskegee, Alabama experiments that withheld penicillin treatment from 399 black men infected with syphilis; the intentional infection of mentally retarded children with hepatitis-B by doctors at Willowbrook State Hospital in Staten Island; numerous radiation experiments on unwitting victims in the U.S.; and countless cases of human “volunteers” for medical “research” who were not informed of the serious risks they were taking — that the answer is affirmative. Upon arriving to the island, Prendrick hears cries from the “House of Pain,” smells antiseptic, and witnesses the sundry “Beast Folk” engineered by Moreau, a grotesque menagerie of transgenic freaks that include mixtures of hyena and swine, ape and goat, bear and bull, and horse and rhinoceros. Initially, he sees them as humans devolved into animals, but Moreau informs him that in fact they are animals he is trying to elevate into humans, changing not only their entire physical reality but also their minds to prohibit any “regression” to animal behavior — anticipating how eugenics tries to weed out of humanity all traits it deems “undesirable.” Amidst lush surroundings, Prendrick see “the whole balance of human life in miniature, the whole interplay of instinct, reason, and fate in its simplest form.” On this microcosmic island, symbolic of the isolation of science from the public, there is a constant battle between instinct and morality, desire and reason. The chimeras — the animal-humans — play out the full tension of their being, much as human beings today struggle at the crossroads of past and future evolution, “rational animals” who still have not evolved beyond the primitive urges of war, violence, killing, hatred, and social hierarchy. Encountering the shock of “the strangest beings” he has ever seen, Prendrick realizes the island “is full of inimical phenomena” and he condemns Moreau as a “lunatic” and “ugly devil.” He concludes that Dr. Moreau, like Mary Shelly’s Dr. Frankenstein, “was so irresponsible, so utterly careless. His curiosity, his mad, aimless investigations, drove him on.”
Moreau, of course, has a different image of himself. Although he has perfected the art of scientific
detachment, and is exquisitely indifferent to the pain he inflicts on his victims, he imagines himself — in the
bad faith of so many animal experimenters and genetic engineers — as a benefactor to the world, as one who is trying to realize his utopian vision of a perfect humanity. For twenty years, Moreau devoted himself “to the study of the plasticity of living forms.” Rejecting any belief that nature and species boundaries are fixed, he seeks to “conquer” nature, to bend it to his will, to become God-like in his power to design species, while admitting that he has “never troubled himself about the ethics of the matter.” Nothing today could better summarize the mentality of many genetic engineers/venture capitalists.
In an uncanny anticipation of xenotransplantation and genetic engineering, Wells, speaking through Moreau, imagines that “it is a possible thing to transplant tissue from one part of an animal to another or from one animal to another, to alter its chemical reactions and methods of growth, to modify the articulation of its limbs, and indeed to change it in its most intimate structure.” Yet, every time Moreau’s chimeras seem to verge toward “triumphs of vivisection” (”genetic engineering” was not yet in the scientific vocabulary) they revert to animality. Despite Moreau’s conditioning that he believes makes it impossible for the chimeras to disobey his will, they regularly break his laws, and in time rebel and kill him. The Beast Folk rampage out of control, as scientific reductionism cannot fathom biological complexity and humans prove unable to control powerful technologies that ultimately destroy them.
At the end of John Frankenheimer’s 1996 film version of the novel, the empathetic Prendrick, upon leaving the island, tells the subhumans he will bring back the best of Western science to help, but a victim of this very science implores: “No more scientists, no more laboratories, no more research … We have to be what we are.” One can easily imagine a real Moreauvian island of genetic pariahs in the very near future, a place where the botched experiments and mutilated satyrs and subhumans live out their pathetic lives, condemned to labor or endure further experimentation.
As if enough animals are not already confined, tortured, and slaughtered in the laboratories and factory farms of the world, U.S. and Europe are now “pharming” an array of animal-human composites for their blood, milk, and organs. Gruesomely, scientists have created headless embryos of mice and frogs, dispensing with their superfluous heads so that they harvest only their organs — a practice biologist Richard Slack imagines could easily be used on human embryos also grown as mere organ sacks for their genetic donors. The Island of Dr. Moreau deserves to be re-read today. It is a brilliant meditation on technology out-of-control, of unethical uses of “objective” science, and of mutations to come in nature and humanity as technoscience aggressively embarks on its explorations into microcosmic reality, unimpeded by legal
regulation or public debate. Here, the disparity between technical ability and philosophical wisdom may well make today’s sci-fi fantasy tomorrow’s living nightmare.
Другие работы по теме:
The River Runs Through It Essay Research
Paper The Water is Wide takes place on the coast of South Carolina and Yamacraw Island during the nineteen sixties. A man by the name of Pat Conroy offers to teach over on the island, many people on the island have no education and are illiterate. When Conroy gets over to the island he finds himself very disgraceful.
Sleepy Days Are Over
… Essay, Research Paper SLEEPY DAYS ARE OVER “I have a dream ” said Martin Luther King Jr. But why was he able to have a dream? It is probably because he was able to get enough sleep, unlike the high-schoolers of today. Almost every high-schooler in the United States would agree, we need more sleep. At my high school on Southern Whidbey Island, school starts at the unbearable early time of 7:30 am.
Robinson Crusoe Essay Research Paper Daniel Defoes
Robinson Crusoe Essay, Research Paper Daniel Defoe?s most famous novel was published in 1719 with the full title, The Life and strange and surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. It is based, in fact, upon the experiences of Alexander Selkirk who had run away to sea in 1704 and requested to be left on an uninhabited island to be rescued five years later.
Island Of The Blue Dolphins Essay Research
Paper Title: Island of the Blue Dolphins Author: Scott O’Dell Character: Karana Summary: This is the story of Karana, an Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of Blue Dolphins. It is an island in the Pacific that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Around it dolphins swim, otters play, and sea elephants and sea birds abound.
Capital Punishment And Torture Unconstitutional Or Junstice
? Essay, Research Paper Capital punishment and torture are often looked down on in today?s societies because they are viewed as cruel and unconstitutional, but perhaps they would help in more ways then we would like to admit. They can be beneficial in many ways such as encouragement to be truthful, encouragement to live by the laws, and as a source of punishment.
Lemurs Essay Research Paper Lemurs meaning ghosts
Lemurs Essay, Research Paper Lemurs, meaning ghosts, are primates that are found only on the island of Madagascar. They can weigh up too eight pounds. Their tails can be up to 25 inches long. And can live up to 15 years. There are 40 different species of lemurs. They are all different in ways. Some are nocturnal, while others hunt during the day.
The Aquabats Essay Research Paper The StoryDeep
The Aquabats Essay, Research Paper The Story! Deep in the South Pacific lies an undiscovered island. This island housed a people raised on the foundation of song and the luxury of time. An island named after it’s amphibious and bat- like people…. AQUABANIA! Life could not be too good on the island, from churro baking contests to Calypso Camp, until an evil force descended upon the island and life would never be the same.
Lord Of The Flies Reading Log Essay
, Research Paper ? Piggy watched him in disgust. ?Like a crowd of kids ? ? ? Pg. 38 This sentence is appealing because technically, Piggy himself is a kid. Piggy thinks of other people as kids mainly because he is the most brilliant being on the island. Although Piggy is annoying when he whines about not being chosen for the exploration party, and demands full attention because he holds the conch.
Treasure Island Essay Research Paper
Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was born into a family of Scottish lighthouse engineers. Because he suffered from tuberculosis as a child, his education was somewhat
Tom Sawyer And Threasure Islan Essay Research
Paper Write a 200-word book report comparing the themes of Tom Sawyer and Treasure Island. Comparing the themes fo Treasure Island, which is Robert Louis Stevenson’s monst famous work of fiction, and the theme of the novel Tom Sawyer, by the beloved and very well-known American author and writer, Samuel Clemens (otherwise known by his nom de flame, or pen-name, Mark Twain) is a very hard and difficult job indeed and requires a lot of careful study.
Desert Island Essay Research Paper Giligan and
Desert Island Essay, Research Paper Giligan and the Professor when stranded on an isolated island in the Pacific did not get to chose the items that they would bring with them on there three hour cruise. Given the opportunity to choose what item that I could take when isolated on a deserted Island, provided that my basic needs where taken care of, I would take a bound notebook with a black pen.
Stranded On A Desert Island Essay Research
Paper Many people would say that if they went to a deserted island they would probably say that they wouldn?t go to one. I would say the opposite if I had to go to one. If I went to a deserted island I would probably bring with me a CD player with CD?s, three or four girls and one of my friends, and I would also bring supplies to build a large house.
Treasure Island Essay Research Paper The highly
Treasure Island Essay, Research Paper The highly acclaimed children’s classic Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is a thrilling book that keeps the reader involved from the beginning to the end. Jim Hawkins, who is the main character and narrator, is a young lad who works with his mother at an inn called the ‘Admiral Benbow’.
Lord Of The Flies Simbolizism Paper Essay
, Research Paper The conch was a symbol of authority. Piggy was the first to discover the conch. He always respected it along with Ralph. ?We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They?ll come when they hear us-.? (Piggy) It was used to call meetings and whoever held the conch during meetings got to speak.
The 13th Chapter Essay Research Paper The
The 13th Chapter Essay, Research Paper The 13th Chapter The boat had the island with all the kids except the deceased. On the boat ride home there was very little coversation on the boat except for the officers
Cuba Essay Research Paper CubaCuba is the
Cuba Essay, Research Paper Cuba Cuba is the largest island of the West Indies, lying south of Florida and east of Mexico’s Yucat?n Peninsula. The Republic of Cuba is combined with
Darkness At Noon Essay Research Paper In
Darkness At Noon Essay, Research Paper In Darkness at Noon, by Arthur Koestler, the detailed story of Nicolas Salmanovich Rubashov is displayed. Rubashov, now in prison for political divergences , is torn between the evolving policies of the Party and his own ideology. Basically, he must choose between life ( Party policy) and death (his own beliefs).
Caliban Essay Research Paper Mowats essay emphasizes
Caliban Essay, Research Paper Mowat?s essay emphasizes Caliban?s significant role in The Tempest, by William Shakespeare. Caliban?s character, in relation to Prospero?s, expresses the actual relations between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries of settlers and natives, Caliban being the native of the island, and Prospero, the settler.
Monkey Island And Missing May Essay Research
Paper Monkey Island and Missing May Monkey Island and Missing May were both very well written fictional books. I did not think Missing May was believable though. I don t expect a child will relate to a young orphan girl whose uncle is trying to contact the spiritual realm in search of his wife, May.
High Protein Essay Research Paper A high
High Protein Essay, Research Paper A high protein diet is essentially that, a diet that is high in protein. However… The diet is not only high in protein, but it is low in other nutrients
Teen Smoking Essay Research Paper There are
Teen Smoking Essay, Research Paper There are many factors that author use in each of their stories to help the reader imagine what the setting look likes. In Pat Conroy, the author describes how the air smells and what the land looks like at different times of the year. This is some of the things that he gives you to help image the setting of the story.
Lord Of The Flies By Golding Essay
, Research Paper In William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies the boys on the island go through many changes over the course of the book. This is true of the main character, Ralph. Even within the first four chapters, Ralph
Darkness At Noon Essay Research Paper The
Darkness At Noon Essay, Research Paper The Saving Grace of Rubashov Despite its brevity Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler packs an enormous amount of thought provoking dialog and insight into what may go through the mind of someone who is going through an extreme ordeal. One theme which ran throughout the book was Rubashov?s actions that were taken as matters of self-preservation and what he must do to atone for them.
High Noon Essay Research Paper High NoonThe
High Noon Essay, Research Paper High Noon The movie High Noon is a western style movie about loyalty and betrayal. Throughout the whole movie, you can see how Kane is loyal to the town and how the town betrays Kane.
High Noon Essay Research Paper High Noon
High Noon Essay, Research Paper High Noon is one of the western films that can move you by its existentialist themes, where an individual’s values are above the societal norms and where the authenticity of being is existence. This is the story of a man who creates his own choices and stands up for the right reason when he is confronting such limit-situations as chance, suffering, conflict, guilt, and death.
Ellis Island Essay Research Paper Billy J
Ellis Island Essay, Research Paper Billy J. Cunningham Politics Through Film September 26, 2000 Ellis Island The immigration process between ?old world? countries and America was often tedious and could last weeks. However there was a bright spot, and that was the entrance to New York harbor, with the Statue of Liberty in full view and the hopes and dreams of a new life in the land of the free.
The Turtle Island Mackinaw Essay Research Paper
Waiting and waiting for the ferry to arrive was more than I could stand…”quit fidgiting,your making me nervous”, said Susie.While we were close to the piers, Diana was loading down her handbag with more than a few tourist brochures. “The island’s not that big”, I told her!……Onnnnnnnnnnnk….Onnnnnnnnnnnnk
Romeo And Juliet Essay Research Paper This
Romeo And Juliet Essay, Research Paper This assignment is on a scene of Romeo and Juliet I have split the scene into thirteen different sections. These sections include what the music and sound affects will be and what the lighting will be and even what sought of characters I am going to have to play the part.
Ellis Island Essay Research Paper ELLIS ISLAND
Ellis Island Essay, Research Paper ELLIS ISLAND Ellis Island has a long history, was needed, and was the “Gateway to America” from 1892 until it closed in 1954, when it began its slow decay.
Bookreport Of The Cay Essay Research Paper
The cay is about a young boy named Phillip. Phillip lived in Willemstad.The adventure starts when The German submarines attacked the island. Phillips mom decided to leave the island for America leaving her husband because he had a job at the island. Phillip and his mother took a little refugee boat when it got Torpedoed in the early morning.
The ISland Of Dr Moreau Essay
, Research Paper The Island of Dr. Moreau The Island of Dr. Moreau is a story that questions the ability of men playing God. The balance of nature is put to the ultimate test as a man by the name of Charles Edward Prendick stumbles across an out-of-control experiment that fuses man with animal.