Dr. Moreau Religion

836 Words4 Pages
Throughout the book, The Island of Dr. Moreau, H.G. Wells writes an important message regarding the flaw in our society. The author presents the scientist, Dr. Moreau, as a symbol for god that painfully changes an animal into the form of a human. He demonstrates how religion creates an illusion which masks our true nature. Two professional literary critics, Bradley A. Skeen and Spectator, discuss the way Wells uses the characters and language to make his views clear to the public. The author tries to convey how we use punishment to avoid our nature while at the same time creating biased views towards animals. He also points out how we hide behind religion to pretend to be something we are not. Wells uses the character Dr. Moreau and his laboratory…show more content…
Bradley A. Skeen states, “Wells examined Christianity in the fun-house mirror and showed his readers a distortion of the faith that revealed his criticisms of it” (Skeen 169). The beast folks have a society that functions with laws that are written like the ten commandments of the bible because the beast folks state, “Not to suck up Drink. That is the law. Are we not Men? Not to eat flesh nor fish; that is the Law. Are we not Men? Not to claw Bark of Tree. That is the Law. Are we not Men? Not to chase other Men; that is the Law. Are we Not Men?” (Wells 91). H.G Wells demonstrates a flaw in the beast folks’ laws which contradict their animal instinct. The beast folks show that they follow the law because they are men, but they do not follow the law if they are animals which mean that the rules make them believe they are not animals. Wells uses rhetoric such as motif where a real man represents, throughout the whole story, an animal but Wells uses logos to explain how religion uses false assumptions by saying, “An animal may be ferocious and cunning enough, but it takes a real man to tell a lie” (Wells 200). This was stated by the main character, Prendick, while convincing the beast folk that the master and the house of pain will come again. Spectator says, “Dr. Moreau is a figure to make an impression on the imagination, and his tragic death under the attack of the puma which

    More about Dr. Moreau Religion

      Open Document