The Law of the Beast Folk
E441242
The Law of the Beast Folk is a strict code of conduct imposed on the hybrid animal-people in H. G. Wells’ novel "The Island of Doctor Moreau," used to control their behavior and suppress their animal instincts.
Statements (47)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
code of conduct
ⓘ
fictional ethical code ⓘ fictional law ⓘ in‑universe concept ⓘ |
| appearsIn | The Island of Doctor Moreau NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| appliesTo |
Beast Folk
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
hybrid animal‑people ⓘ |
| associatedChant |
Are we not men?
ⓘ
His is the Hand that heals ⓘ His is the Hand that makes ⓘ His is the Hand that wounds ⓘ His is the House of Pain ⓘ This is the Law ⓘ |
| authorOfSourceWork | H. G. Wells NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| characterRole |
mechanism of social control
ⓘ
symbol of Moreau’s authority ⓘ |
| containsRule |
Not to chase other men
ⓘ
Not to claw the bark of trees ⓘ Not to eat fish or flesh ⓘ Not to eat other men ⓘ Not to go on all fours ⓘ Not to shed blood ⓘ Not to suck up drink ⓘ To obey Doctor Moreau ⓘ To obey the House of Pain ⓘ To speak like men ⓘ To walk on two legs ⓘ |
| enforcedBy |
Doctor Moreau
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
the Sayer of the Law NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| enforcementMethod |
fear of punishment
ⓘ
ritual recitation ⓘ threat of the House of Pain NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| fictionalUniverse | The Island of Doctor Moreau universe NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| firstPublicationContext | The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896 novel) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| imposedBy | Doctor Moreau NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| language | English (in the text of the novel) ⓘ |
| medium | oral recitation ⓘ |
| narrativeFunction |
to foreshadow the Beast Folk’s reversion to animal nature
ⓘ
to illustrate the fragility of imposed civilization ⓘ |
| purpose |
to control the behavior of the Beast Folk
ⓘ
to enforce obedience to Doctor Moreau ⓘ to maintain social order among the Beast Folk ⓘ to suppress animal instincts ⓘ |
| setting | Moreau’s island NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| theme |
artificial imposition of morality
ⓘ
conflict between civilization and animal instinct ⓘ limits of scientific control over nature ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.