Doctor Moreau Essay

In “The ‘Two Cultures’ Debate in the Twenty-First Century,” Brian McAllister addresses the tension between scientists and liberal arts scholars, particularly concerning the debate between the definition of progress and its connection to morality. Although scientists argue that progress is the “onward march of science, technology, and industry,” the humanitarians advocate for a critical analysis of progress concerning its moral implications for society. The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G Wells, a novel about Prendick’s strange encounters with science on a stranded island, explores the discussion between science and ethics. Doctor Moreau, a biologist who uses vivisection to create Beast People, justifies his scientific work by ignoring the moral
To create his Beast Folk, he uses vivisection to piece together different types of animals and create a human figure. Prendick, the narrator and characterization of civilization, questions Moreau’s methods, using a negative tone and connotation to describe Moreau’s work behind the always-locked door. The constant howls of pain from the Beast Folk accompany Prendick’s stay at Moreau’s apartment; even without knowing the extent of Moreau’s experimentation, Prendick recognize his work to immoral because of the intensity of suffering. Moreau’s attempt to rationalize his work is significant in the argument against morality and progress. He claims that he is only attempting "to find the extreme limit of plasticity in a living shape” by investigating God’s laws of nature by inflicting pain on animals. As he explains to Prendick, pain is subjective and can be controlled by the mind. To prove himself, he even stabs himself with a knife without a flinch. However, Prendick is not convinced by Moreau’s rational, and he is uneasy about the immorality of inflicting suffering on animals that closely relate to humans. Because Moreau did not consider the ethics of his work, he is eventually killed by his own creations as they transform back to their animalist