Language, Science, Society, and the Line between Human and Animal in Swift's 'Gulliver's Travels' and Wells's 'The Island of Doctor Moreau'

This thesis examines line between human and non-human animals in Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels and H.G. Wells's The Island of Doctor Moreau. Both Gulliver's Travels and The Island of Doctor Moreau examine this separation through the prism of language, societal views of animality, and biology. Looking back at the history surrounding the idea that man is separate from, and superior to, animals, one finds that it can be traced back in western tradition to the Bible, and is so ingrained in our language that it is difficult for narrators such as Lemuel Gulliver and Edward Prendick to recount their experiences when they see this separation fall apart. This concept is traced through time, and the events and attitudes surrounding the authorship of these books are examined in order to determine possible influences in penning these tales. The language of narration is dissected, and the use of language between characters in these stories is explored to demonstrate that ultimately, in Gulliver's Travels and The Island of Doctor Moreau, human speech, outward appearance, and ancient beliefs are superficial, inconsequential differences between humans and animals. In these tales, our inner workings and biology paint a picture of unity between man and other animals.