To a modern reader Dr. Moreau is the quintessential mad scientist – he has a hidden laboratory, he has sinister henchmen, and his experiments are evil and grotesque. But to simply dismiss Moreau as a madman would be to ignore the manner in which the doctor both adheres to his own vision of sanity, and manipulates the other characters (especially Prendick, as the end of the novel illustrates) so that they too – whether willingly or unwillingly – are reshaped by Moreau’s warped ideal. He uses the traditional enforcers of Victorian culture – sanity or normality, the willingness to adhere to a dictated social code – to enforce not only his rule on the island but his own moral compass. The Beast-Men worship him, Montgomery obeys him, and even Prendick becomes accustomed to life on the island. Moreau’s power to reshape the idea of sanity is just as chilling as his torturous reshaping of the animals’ bodies.
Moreau’s first description of his own experiments are that they are “nothing very dreadful, really, to a sane man…” (Chapter VII) Throughout the novel he reinforces his own standards of sanity. When at last describing his experiment to the horrified Prendick, he explains his reasons for embarking upon it in the same language: “Then I am a religious man, Prendick, as every sane man must be.” (Chapter XIV) He co-opts the twin standards of Victorian behavior – religion and normality – to defend his indefensible experiments, and does it in such a way that Prendick has no choice but to go along with it. Indeed, Prendick’s own experience on the island erodes his certainty that Moreau’s practices are evil: “I lost faith in the sanity of the world when I saw it suffering the painful disorder of this island.” (Chapter XVI) Eventually he adjusts to life on the island, such that he barely notices the gradual disintegration of Moreau’s creatures. Moreau’s twisted world becomes Prendick’s normality.
By the time Prendick is able to leave the island, Moreau’s warped kind of sanity is still dogging his steps. Prendick says that his “discoverers thought [him] a madman,” and that he “had to act with the utmost circumspection to save [himself] from the suspicion of insanity.” (Chapter XXII) In the end, Prendick, no longer “a reasonable creature, but only an animal tormented with some strange disorder in its brain,” (Chapter XXII) is so changed by Moreau’s world that he cannot live in his own – not because they are too different, but because they are too similar. Moreau’s last achievement is this redefinition of sanity: bringing the ordinary world closer and closer to his island, so that the one seems just as insane as the other.
[Apologies for the citations – I am using the Project Gutenberg text, which has no page numbers.]
I love the idea that Moreau rewrites “sanity” as a way to govern the island. If Moreau did not rewrite the definition of “sanity,” the island could not succeed. It especially interests me that you say Moreau changed Prendick’s view of “sanity.” Could it be that Moreau actually showed Prendick an alternate form of sanity, one based on animal instincts rather than society’s rules? I agree with your point that Prendick’s altered view of sanity makes it hard for him to assimilate back into society. Perhaps he sees the merits of Moreau’s definition of sanity, and the holes in our own definition?
Prendick’s sanity is an interesting topic here as well, as we have discussed in class how he may be an unreliable narrator. He begins his story about his shipwreck and consequential trauma at sea, even hinting that his companions were strongly considering cannibalism for survival (Wells 2). At the end of the novel he states that he views all humans as more animalistic and grotesque, causing him to flee to the countryside. The sole person to whom he has told his story is a “mental specialist” aka a psychoanalyst (Wells 102). He seems to be suffering what we would nowadays classify as PTSD from his experiences, which may or may not affect his accuracy in retelling his story.
Sanity seems like such a wild term in relation to The Island of Dr. Moreau, huh? During Moreau’s explanation about his island and the creatures, he states” [he is] a religious man as every sane man should be.” (55.) Which begs to ask the question: Without religion, can we be deemed sane? I believe that situational ethics and survival instincts play a large role in Prendick’s compliance, but I am not entirely sure that I agree wholeheartedly that sanity (and, in turn, religion) govern his actions. However, eggertm’s interpretation of Moreau’s ability to morph the term “sanity” provides a fresh perspective that I really appreciate.
I find the concept of subjectiveness of normality within the text to be fascinating. I hadn’t really thought about how the creatures on the island are considered normal to Moreau and eventually Prendrick, but thinking about the descriptions of the creatures that inhabit the islands makes sense. Prendrick always describes them as close to human but not; there’s always something that’s grotesque about them, be it the bend of their legs or proportions. However Moreau describes the form as the easiest part for him. He believes that he creates perfect human structure. I think that this might then be due to his evolved sense of what’s normal.