This paper argues that Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s correspondent gothic novel (first published in 1818) and Dr. Moreau, the ‘mad scientist’ in H.G. Well’s scientific romance "The Island of Dr. Moreau" (published in 1896) represent different subcategories of ‘mad scientists’ and serve as means of warning and as a reflection surface for the fear of scientific progress. For these purposes an attempt at a definition of the literary figure of the ‘mad scientist’ will be made and applied to the characters of Dr. Frankenstein and Dr. Moreau. The characters will be compared by their motivations for their respective scientific experiments as well as their respective outcomes. It will be shown why the recipient perceives those experiments as grotesque. Afterwards, it will be analysed how their experiments tie in with the common conceptions and fears about science during the time of their first reception. Finally, it will be regarded how the figure of the ‘mad scientist’ is used in media nowadays.
- Quote paper
- Anonymous (Author), 2017, Grotesque Science. The ‘Mad Scientist’ in H.G. Well’s "The Island of Dr. Moreau" and Mary Shelley’s "Frankenstein", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1718698
