Eva Chen
Professor Hinckley
English 004
2013, December 9th
The Mocking of Religion
The Island of Dr. Moreau, an 1896 science fiction novel is written by H. G. Wells. The narrator, Edward Prendick is rescued by a boat that is left on the island of Doctor Moreau, who vivisects human-like beings from animals. This novel revolves around pain and cruelty, moral responsibility, and human identity. Wells mocks the beliefs and religion through the actions and words of Edward, Montgomery, Moreau and the Beast people. The story itself mocks belief of the Judeo-Christian God as creator and overseer of the world. The Law that Moreau teaches the beast folk stands for social conformism. Moreau finds it essential to force the Law on the Beast People. On Moreau’s Island, Wells satirizes the Judeo-Christian beliefs by the Beast People. The Beast People creates a religion for them that mock the foundation of Judaism and Christianity. The “formula” that Edward is forced to repeat resembles the Ten Commandments. Both laws have a pattern of these statements: “You shall have no other gods before me…. You shall not make yourself and idol in the form of anything in heaven about or on the earth beneath or in the waters below,” (5:7-8) compared to “Not to go on all-Fours; that is the Law. Are we not Men? Not to suck up Drink; that is the Law. Are we not Men?” (43). Both laws are obeyed by fear. They are constantly recited. The only thing that the Beast People can create is the common recitation of the law. In Edward and Moreau’s conversation, Moreau says that the Beast People “have a kind of mockery of a rational life…. There’s something they call the Law.” (59) Wells implies that the Beast People created these rules on their own. Wells continues mocking religion by inputting language from the bible and allusions through the whole novel. Wells compares Moreau to God, Montgomery to the Holy Spirit, and Edward to Jesus Christ. Prendick’s use of the phrase “we three blue-clad men” (68) shows the idea of Trinity, the god, the son, and the Holy Spirit. Moreau, Montgomery, and Prendick that represent the trinity of Judeo-Christianity do not care for the Beast People who they are considered gods. Wells hints that faith in a system is