113 pages 3 hours read

Michael Crichton

Jurassic Park

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1990

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Themes

The Dangers of Unchecked and Profit-Driven Scientific Advancement

There are many warnings in the story of Jurassic Park, but one warning supersedes them all: the chaos that results from the narrowminded and profit-driven pursuit of modern science. From the very first chapter, there are catastrophic and deadly consequences that result from Hammond and Wu’s unchecked scientific progress. Furthermore, because “[e]veryone has a stake” (x) in science itself, profit and competition become the main objectives. As Malcolm points out, scientists today “stand on the shoulders of giants” (343) and do not really understand the technology that they are grappling with. What results is a carelessness regarding the moral implications of one’s actions and discoveries. Hammond and his team contemplate the consequences to an extent, but they cling to the arrogant belief that they will not be affected by said consequences.

Hammond is particularly delusional and selfish in his pursuit of scientific advancement. He creates a park full of dinosaurs, extinct creatures of the past, and allows them to be stored and replaced as if they are car models. He has absolutely no regard for the fact that he is dealing with living, feeling creatures. Hammond also sees no possibility of the dinosaurs escaping the island, believing that they have the animals completely contained.

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