A comparison of the 19th and 20th century novels The Lost World of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Kenneth Robeson's The Land of Terror are tales of scientific discovery and exploration. They're both great adventures with male protagonists who rely on their intelligence to deal with danger and uncertainty. However, they are completely different from each other in multiple ways related to the time of their publication. Although these science fiction tales are relatively similar, they are novels heavily influenced by their respective centuries, as exemplified by their writing style, character development, and the themes they explore. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published The Lost World in 1912. At that time, novels still explored relatively Victorian and romantic ideas such as courtship and adventure. The main character, Edward Malone, is madly in love with Gladys Hungerton. When Malone begins to propose to his beloved, she begs him not to because she imagines herself loving a man who actively seeks adventure and fame. Although this essay will later extensively explore the adventure theme of The Lost World, it is worth noting that the impetus for the entire novel is Malone's devotion to his beloved. Another sharp feature of Doyle's style is that it has a relatively dry and plodding pace. The novel is full of tangents of both a narrative and scientific nature. The first six chapters of the work are full of background information to set the course of events. The real adventure doesn't even begin until chapter seven! In direct contrast, The Land of Terror was originally published in 1944. At this point in literature, audiences were demanding a fast-paced, action-packed adventure. Robeson offers just that with his Doc Savage tales. This particular episode begins with a murder, followed immediately by a high-speed chase, then a fight. These events are repeated throughout the novel which also includes kidnappings, aerial bombings, firefights and escape from dinosaurs. Robeson refuses to let his readers feel comfortable and keeps the action continuous from start to finish. He uses 20th century plot ideas such as murders, gangsters, drug addicts, and bank robberies to intrigue his audience. It also uses elements of overt humor exemplified in the numerous exchanges between Monk and Ham that add levity to the serious events at hand. Furthermore, the author uses sharp language, full of slang and terminology. He uses the term "stick" instead of guns on page 78, as well as "bruiser" on page 83. These terms denote a modern tone pronounced in the work. Reading The Lost World you might notice that, generally, Doyle's characters are simple, clichéd and relatively static. Malone, the protagonist, is a young reporter determined on adventure and glory to win Gladys' heart; this is a character endlessly duplicated throughout classical literature. Of course, Malone shows some dynamic traits, such as realizing his folly when he returns home and discovers that Gladys has married a simple clerk. Overall, his archetype is what readers expected in the 19th century. Furthermore, we have Professor Challenger, a zoologist described as "a violent, dangerous, hot-tempered character, hated by everyone who meets him" (Doyle, ch.2). He is a prominent Brainiac with a bad attitude. He is known to the police, his neighborhood and London society in general for violent incidentsin which he is known to argue with those he disagrees with or takes offense at. Through the narrator, we learn that Challenger, "was a rather short man, his head no higher than my shoulder, a stunted Hercules whose extraordinary vitality had reached depth, breadth and brain" (Doyle, ch.3 ). Challenger remains equally short-tempered and intelligent throughout the novel, with no major noticeable changes. Also, it is notable that Doyle's work includes only two women: Gladys and Jessie Challenger. These women fulfilled the ideal of the time that women should stay at home and maintain domicile rather than attend large public events. Gladys is described as "full of every feminine quality", with "delicately tanned skin... raven hair, large liquid eyes, full but exquisite lips..." (Doyle, ch.1). She displays characteristics of vanity and pride when describing the kind of man she imagines marrying. She states that she wants to be "envied" of her man (Doyle, ch.1). Doyle makes a very telling statement about the general attitude and expectations of women in the 19th century when Gladys states: “I dare say I am merely a foolish woman with the fancies of a young girl… If I marry, I want to marry a famous man” (Doyle, chapter 1). The other glimpse of femininity within the work is that of Professor Challenger's wife, Jessie. She is described as "... a bright, lively, dark-eyed woman. more French than English in his type" (Doyle, ch.3). She makes excuses for her husband's behavior because of its consequences on her and her family. Jessie in particular reinforces an idea that was circulating at this time called cult of domesticity, which held that women were morally superior to men. This concept was a major feature of men's arguments that women belonged in the home. When she scolds her husband for his horrible behavior, he warns her to " be good", but when she can't stop, he lifts her bodily and "seats her on a high black marble pedestal in the corner of the room. He was at least seven feet tall and so thin that he could barely keep his balance” (Doyle, ch.4). He even makes her say “please” before letting her down from the so-called “Penance Stool”. Professor Challenger dismisses her as a “little woman” at the end of this exchange. Overall, this is not exactly a favorable characterization of women, however these are exactly in accordance with the attitudes of the time. In The Land of Terror, the main character, Doc Savage, is a modern, intelligent man possessing extremely impressive abilities. . He is handsome and quite striking in appearance, described on page 78 as "...like an animated and beautifully crafted metal statue", as well as having a, "...remarkably high forehead, strong muscular mouth, thin mouth, muscular cheeks denoted a rare power of character, including his gold-covered eyes that he uses to exert influence on those with whom he comes into contact “great masters of hypnotism” (Robeson, 80). There is also an eerie sound coming from Doc's lips, described as “a strange, soft, trilling sound, like the song of a jungle bird… He had the unique quality of emanating from everywhere, as if the very air in the dingy room was giving birth to it” (Robeson, 84). This sound occurs when Doc concentrates deeply and creates a plan. Among other things, Doc is also gifted with incredible intelligence, superhuman strength and agility, keen hearing, and hair and skin that shed water like a duck's. Not only Doc performsregularly performed extraordinary physical feats, but was trained "from the cradle". for a certain goal in life. That goal was a life of service…helping those who needed help, punishing those who deserved it: this was Doc Savage's noble purpose in life” (Robeson, 80). Although Doc is a relatively stagnant character, he is one who constantly defies the odds and amazes his reader. Doc is a physical marvel as well as a good person, so he keeps the novel interesting while embodying the standard 20th century protagonist. There are numerous themes in The Lost World, but some of the most prominent are idolized heroism and adventure, as well as racism, which mark it as a decidedly 19th-century work. After deciding that he wants to win Gladys' heart, Malone seeks out his editor, McArdle, who informs him that "The great blank spaces in the map are all filled in and there's no room for romance anywhere" (Doyle, chap .2). This was a very true statement when Doyle wrote the words; the world had practically already been discovered. However, contrary to what McArdle claims, Malone seeks adventure to “justify” his life (Doyle, ch.2). Malone states that, “…men should BUILD their own opportunities, and not wait until they are given to them” (Doyle, ch.1). This attitude had been circulating in the Western world for years and had led to rampant imperialism, particularly on the part of the British Empire at the time of this work's publication. In line with the concept of imperialism, comes the theme of racism in The Lost World. This is exemplified in a dismissal of minorities that begins with Austin, the driver to Professor Challenger's house. As Malone listens to the Professor's account of his previous journey to the Amazon, he states, "The natives were Cucama Indians, an amiable but degraded race, with mental powers scarcely superior to the average Londoner" (Doyle, ch. 4). This is hardly a flattering statement, but it was typical of the century's outlook. Additionally, early in the novel, several observations are made regarding Malone's Irish heritage. He references his "Irish effervescence" in chapter one, as well as his "Irish wit" in chapter three. As the Professor gets to know him, he says: “Round head... brachycephalic, gray eyes, black hair, suggestive of the negroid. Celtic, I presume," (Doyle, ch. 4). The Protestant English of the 19th century were engaged in a centuries-long battle to colonize and "domesticate" the Catholic Irish. An analysis of racism in this novel would be incomplete if it did so. do not include the men with whom the expedition travels to the Amazon. The company consists of "Three white men, therefore, two half-breeds, a negro, and three Indians" (Doyle, ch.7) who act as their servants and are described as “dark, bearded, ferocious boys, as active and bristly as panthers” (Doyle, ch. 7). Furthermore, there is “…a gigantic negro named Zambo, who is a black Hercules, as willing as any horse and as much.” intelligent,” (Doyle, ch.7), not to mention the three “Mojo Indians,” one of whom is not even called by his name, he is simply called Mojo after the name of his tribe. All these references reinforce the contempt for the humanity of other ethnicities that was very characteristic of the time in which it was written. The Land of Terror is characterized by the theme of justice. The murder of Doc's mentor and friend, Coffern, early in the novel sets events in motion and inspires a sense of obligation in Doc. The main character, personally hurt by the loss and the brutality of the crime, searches for answers and justice for his friend. Doc was raised to fight injustice wherever it is found. It is said that Doc.