In the novel, Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton utilizes metaphors and symbolism in order to convey Character’s obsession with control and power, ultimately illustrating how grasping onto an ideal world view can produce negative consequences.
To begin, Crichton employs metaphors in order to highlight the character’s desperate attempts to hold onto a desired world view. Many times within the novel, Ian Malcolm (renowned mathematician) talks about what is called “chaos theory”. Malcolm explains chaos theory and says that in an open system such as the Jurassic park, there is no controlling what happens, and things are guaranteed to go wrong. This theory is constantly being compared to Hammond and his arrogant way of thinking he can control whatever goes on within the park. Because of Malcolm’s theory, there is a sort of standard that is set Consequently, when Hammond reveals his true intentions with the park, he is then connected to that established idea of chaos theory. Therefore, Crichton is able to highlight the negative consequences that will follow because of Hammond's Ideal world view, due to his use of metaphors. Furthermore, Crichton utilizes metaphors to also compare different character’s ideal world views. For example, Dr Alan Grant (Highly respected paleontologist) knows and expresses that the dinosaurs on the island are wild animals that cannot simply be controlled. Crichton connects this idea to earlier when Dr. Grant is excavating a dig site. He tells that they can’t control whether they find bones or not and whether they’ll be suitable enough to be used. This idea reveals that unlike Hammond, who believes because he made the dinosaurs that they are his to control, Dr. Grant knows that nothing is certain with these creatures. Because of Dr. Grant’s world view towards the dinosaurs, the audience has an idea of what the actual ideology should be for these wild creatures. Since this foundation is laid, the audience is able to see more clearly the difference between Dr. Grant's world view, and Hammond's world view. Thus, Crichton is able to compare and highlight opposing world views utilizing metaphors.
Michael Crichton not only uses metaphors, but also employs symbolism in order to analyze ideal world views. Michael Crichton utilizes the dinosaurs as a symbol in order to expose Hammond's world views. From the moment the dinosaurs are revealed, they aren’t seen as living creatures by everyone. To people like Hammond or his lawyer, they are seen simply as assets in order to make profit or have control. This distinction ends up being the downfall of many characters, such as Hammond, due to their ignorant world views. Because the dinosaurs aren’t always valued as being living animals, they are underestimated. Consequently, the park fails and results in multiple casualties. Therefore, Hammond's world views are clearly displayed, due to Crichton’s use of symbolism. To continue, a consistent theme in Michael Crichton’s novels is his symbolism of technology. Technology in this novel is more than just lines of code or machines, It represents human’s exploration of the unknown. In the novel the scientists of the park create a machine to decipher all the genomes of the dinosaurs in order to create them. Technology represents what humans think they can control, and why they believe they can control almost anything else if they can control technology. Because technology is seen as something humans can control, it is often taken for granted. Since humans don’t value technology the way they should, it commonly goes wrong. Thus, Michael Crichton's use of symbolism reveals certain characters' ideal world views toward technology.
overall, Micheal Crichton’s utilization of metaphors and symbolism to convey character’s desperation to have power and control. With character’s such as Hammond who outworldy ignores the threats of chaos theory, underestimates the potential of living creatures, and technology. Leading to the downfall of Jurassic Park because of an attempt to shape the world into a specific desired view.