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.

At first glance, this tropical paradise seems idyllic. But deep in the jungles lays a terrifying secret. Moreau and Montgomery have been preforming 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 first illustration is a drawing of Doctor Moreau explaining his status on the island to Prendick. Prendick has been finding out things that he shouldn¹t have known, and he demands answers. He gets his answers from Dr. Moreau but he hears things that are unimaginable. Moreau explains how he mutates humans into beast-like animals. For the rest of Prendick’s stay on the island he maintains an uneasy feeling and he wishes he never arrived on this island.

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The Next sketch illustrates the beast’s new thirst for blood, which is a major turning point for the story. Roaming free, these beast-people are highly intelligent with murderous instincts. Their thirst for blood is pacified through a combination of sedatives and shock discipline. But events triggered by Prendick’s unexpected arrival are about to break Moreau¹s God- like domination over these resentful creatures.

The last drawing in my visual essay symbolizes a catastrophe. This was a point in the novel were all hell broke loose. Prendick found himself in the middle of a violent eruption between the doctor and his ³family.² Moreau, Montgomery, and most of the beasts lost their lives. Prendick himself was even forced to kill. It ended up that he was the last one left on the island except for a few beasts. Prendick later escaped the clutches of his captors and flees the island leaving behind terror, but taking a new life with him.

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William Anderson (Schoolworkhelper Editorial Team)
William completed his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in 2013. He current serves as a lecturer, tutor and freelance writer. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, walking his dog and parasailing. Article last reviewed: 2022 | St. Rosemary Institution © 2010-2024 | Creative Commons 4.0

1 Comment

  1. Further, the hero does not “take a new life with him” at the end, but returns to civilization to become a recluse, seeing people as little more than animals. The author of this piece misses the plot and theme. Moreau turns animals into mock humans.

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