Posted: May 17th, 2016

H.G. Wells, The Island of Dr Moreau

H.G. Wells, The Island of Dr Moreau
The Island of Dr. Moreau stretches the most rigorous evolutionary science of its day to the extreme limits. The Beast Folk, who revert to their animal state after Moreau’s death, embody the frightening possibility of human “retrogressive metamorphosis”, while Moreau, with his “fine forehead”, signifying his massive intellect without emotional sensitivity, seemingly represents the pinnacle of human evolution; and yet the central thematic preoccupations of the novel challenge the British imperialist belief in its superiority to the world of nature and in particular to animals.
Using this statement as a starting point, discuss the view that as a counter-colonial narrative, the novel seems to take a subversive stance against racially inflected theories of evolution that facilitated empire building at the expense of those defined as less than human.
Your answer should make detailed reference to the novel by providing textual evidence to illustrate your points and use at least two (2) relevant secondary sources.