The Lost World- Chapter 4

I am currently reading “The Lost World” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I have read the first 4 chapters and have made the decision to read the novel to the very last page. I plan on finishing the novel because it has themes in which interest me: biology and exceptionality. The novel expresses themes of biology through the accounts of an eccentric zoologist named Professor Challenger. Professor Challenger spent a year in a remote location in South America where he observed creatures in which other scientists deemed extinct. Professor Challenger also expresses his theories on evolution in the novel, which oppose those of Weissmann. Professor Challenger is a character that, as seen by his theories, opposes accepted behaviors and belief of both society and science. Owing to the fact that he is an unconventional character he is also a very intriguing one. Due to his lack of refinement, he is often unpredictable, making the story even more compelling. In the 3rd chapter his erratic behavior is evident when he tackles a journalist, Ed Malone, upon inquiring about his adventures in South America.  Ed Malone brings us to another theme in the novel, exceptionality. He embarks on a journey to find out about Professor Challenger’s accounts in South America, seeking a thrill well aware of the professor’s unconventional behavior. Malone is on a search for an adventure after his love interest Gladys rejects him on the grounds of not being an interesting enough man. Gladys seeks a man with great experiences on thrilling expeditions, a man who would produce envy from other woman. Ed Malone is on a search for exceptionality to prove himself worthy of Gladys. With appealing themes and unpredictable characters, “The Lost World” is proving itself to be a good read.