Island Of Dr Moreau By H.G. Wells example essay topic

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 vividly described. Doctor Moreau succeeds in making some of his man-animals talk and even read, but they tend to revert to the beast. So Moreau continues to try to get the entire animal out, and make a creature of his own.

His creatures, which continue to come to their demise, then kill Moreau and finally all die off. When the H.M.S. Scorpion visits the island, there is nothing alive there except for a few 'white moths, some hogs and rabbits and some rather peculiar rats. ' The theme of this novel is that science experiments can go too far, because the creatures made from the experimentation go against their creators. These creatures, known as Beast Men, were combinations of animals, like a wolf combined with a human being, and these scientists spent their entire life devoted to these 'experiments. ' However, at one point in the novel, a conflict arises from the creatures and chaos begins. When the conflict finally comes to a halt, there is only one true human standing. H.G. Wells was born on September 21, 1866 in Bromley, Kent a suburb of London.

His father, Joseph Wells, and his mother, Sarah, were married in 1853 and they had four children. An elder sister, Fanny, died at the age of 9 two years before H.G. was born. After he was born, his family was worried that he may also die like his sister Fanny, being that he was sort of a "weakling" and struggled to be healthy most of his life. Wells was apprenticed like his brothers to a draper, spending the years between 1880 and 1883 in Windsor and Southsea as a drape ist. In 1883 Wells became a teacher / pupil at Midhurst Grammar School. He obtained a scholarship to the Normal School of Science in London and studied biology there under T.H. Huxley.

However, his interest faltered and in 1887 he left without a degree. He taught in private schools for four years, obtaining his B.S. degree until 1980. The next year he settled in London, married his cousin Isabel and continued his career as a teacher in a correspondence college. Wells left Isabel for one of his brightest students, Amy Catherine, whom he married in 1895 (Brian 1). In 1893 Wells became a full-time writer. As a novelist, Wells made his debut with "The Time Machine", a parody of English class division.

The narrator is Hillier, who discusses with his friends about the theories of time travel. Much of the realistic atmosphere of the story was achieved by carefully studying technical details. The basic principles of the machine contained materials regarding time as the fourth dimension - years later Albert Einstein published his theory of the four dimensional continuum of space-time ("H.G. Wells" 2). Dissatisfied with his literary work, Wells moved into the novel genre with "Love and Mr. Lewisham", and strengthened his reputation as a serious writer. Wells also published critical pamphlets attacking the Victorian social order, among them "Anticipations", "Mankind in the Making", and "A Modern Utopia". Passionate concern for society led Wells to join the socialist Fabian Society in 1903 in London.

It advocated a fairer society by planning for a gradual system of reforms. However, he soon quarreled with the society's leaders, among them George Bernard Shaw. This experience was basis for his novel "The New Machiavelli", which portrayed the noted Fabians. At the outbreak of war in 1914, Wells was involved in a love affair with a young journalist, Rebecca West, 26 years his junior. West and Wells called themselves "panther" and "jaguar". Their son Anthony West later wrote about their difficult relationship in "Aspects of Life".

In his novels Wells used his two wives, Amber Reeves, Rebecca West, Odette Ken and all the passing mistresses as models for his characters. "I was never a great amorist", Wells wrote in "Experiment in Autobiography", "though I have loved several people very deeply". Rebecca West became a famous author and married a wealthy banker, Henry Andrews, who had business interests in Germany. Mistress Elizabeth von Anim dismissed Wells, and Moura Budberg, Maxim Gorky's former mistress, refused to marry him or even be faithful.

After World War I, Wells published several non-fiction works, among them "The Outline of History", "Experiment in Autobiography", and "The Science of Life" which was written in collaboration with Sir Julian Huxley and George Philip Wells. At this time, Wells had gained the status as a popular celebrity, and he continued to write prolifically. In 1917 he was a member of Research Committee for the League of Nations and published several books about the world organization. Although Wells had many reservations about the Soviet system, he understood the broad aims of the Russian Revolution, and had in 1920 a fairly amiable meeting with Lenin. In the early 1920's Wells was a labour candidate for Parliament. Between the years 1924 and 1933 Wells lived mainly in France.

From 1934 to 1946 he was the International president of PEN. In 1934 he had discussions with both Stalin, who left him disillusioned, and Roosevelt, trying to recruit them without success to his world-saving schemes. Wells was convinced that Western socialists cannot compromise with Communism, and that the best hope for the future lay in Washington. Also one of his mistresses, Moura Budberg, turned out to be a Soviet agent for years. In "The Holy Terror", Wells studied the psychological development of a modern dictator exemplified in the careers of Stalin, Mussolini, and Hitler. Wells lived through World War II in his house on Regent's Park, refusing to let the blitz drive him out of London.

His last book, "Mind at the End of its Tether", expressed pessimism about mankind's future prospects. Wells died in London on August 13, 1946 (Herbert George Wells a Brief Biography 1). I believe Wells got the idea to write this book from his background in Biology from the Normal Science School of London. When Wells wrote this he had to know something about DNA, cloning, or chromosomes but he did use his scientific imagination. Wells realized that society was beginning to rely on science too much in the late nineteenth century. He wrote this book to issue a stern warning for future societies against their own scientific advancements.

He knew that just like his society others would want to quench their appetite for this tasty treat called vivisection or cloning. He knew that eventually the progress of society would lead to the all or nothing control of the evolutionary processes. H.G. Wells's, The Island of Dr. Moreau is fascinating because science had many areas where there is little or no knowledge about it, especially in the nineteenth century. This novel seems so out of the ordinary back then, but almost believable today. Making creatures out of two different animals is far from fiction now.

There is enough technology to accomplish this task. Our science understanding has increased so much that this story could one day come true. Brian. H.G. Wells: The Daring Determined Writer of his Time. 2002.3 Nov. 2004 H.G. Wells. 16 Aug. 1999. Scott Comm.

3 Nov. 2004 Herbert George Wells a Brief Biography. 22 May 1998. Scott Comm. 3 Nov. 2004.