This is the 2nd of what will be eleven ‘chapters’ under the title of ‘Control’ – the first was just two chapters earlier (Chapter 20). Repetition is a key part of persuasion, and Crichton understands that he must persuade the reader that the technology and scenario he is laying out to them are very much possible.

Best Writing, Quotes

“We see these animals as fragile and delicate.”

Jurassic Park, Page 151 Arnold to Malcolm

The scientists who have resurrected the dinosaurs and built the park are finding exactly what they plan to find – a novel, near-natural, ecosystem that doesn’t violate any of their safety designs. Malcolm sees the park for what it really is – a living Frankenstein ecosystem, cobbled together with parts that will lead to unintended consequences.

Page by Page Highlights, Quotes

“Grant didn’t like computers.” Page 146

“That’s two hundred and thirty-eight animals, as of this minute.” John Arnold to Genaro, Page 147.

“Once every fifteen minutes, the computer tallies the animals in all categories,” Arnold said. Page 148. The category tally is a technical report, a data table, that Crichton will use very persuasively with the reader later in the book.

“It’s important for everyone to remember that these animals are created.” Page 149 – Arnold refers to the ‘version numbers’ of the dinosaurs in the category tally.

“And these sensors are everywhere in the park?” Page 150 Arnold agrees to Malcolm’s question, stating that “92%” of the park is covered. It is amazing to think that today, thirty-four years later, even the most ardent technophile would laugh at the assertion that such a system could reliably function with a 0% failure rate.

“We see these animals as fragile and delicate.” Arnold to Malcolm, Page 151

“You’re going to have rides? Like an amusement park?” Grant realizes the plan on page 152.

“This is the system Mr. Nedry designed?” Malcolm asked. Page 153

“It’s just a matter of your assumptions.” Malcolm answers the question of, “Can any dinosaurs escape?” on page 154.

“I’m sure the tour will make everything clear,” Malcolm said. Page 155

These aren’t real dinosaurs – we know that through Crichton’s detailed explanation of how they were made technically feasible. We’ve looked at old DNA that has deteriorated, we’ve patched that DNA with other animals – frogs, birds, and reptiles, and then we’ve brought them into the world with synthetic eggs. These are simulacrum of dinosaurs that we’re blind to because the differentiated steps are done behind the scenes with science, and with enormous numbers that make it hard to understand how different the new animals are.

At the same time the reader expects real dinosaurs, probably 20% of the book to this point has been showing us that obviously they are not. In the same way a great magician can describe the way a trick was done, and still we believe the trick – Crichton has shown us what are clear ‘not-dinosaurs’ and still we are focused on these creatures because they are dinosaurs. This topic is explored in greater depth in the book and movie sequels.

Best Writing, Quotes

“I see no reason to improve upon reality.”

Jurassic Park, Page 146 Hammond to Wu

Hammond is trope-blind, he can’t see how his own internal logic is inconsistent. He is improving upon reality by bringing dinosaurs to life, but is not willing to do the extra work to ensure that the dinosaurs will be safe for the world to observe them.

Page by Page Highlights, Quotes

“We should go to Version 4.4” Wu says to Hammond on Page 146, implying that all the animals should be terminated and upgraded. Wu knows they have problems.

“And entertainment has nothing to do with reality. Entertainment is antithetical to reality.” Wu to Hammond on Page 147

• The dinosaurs are too fast, they are ‘too real.’
• Are these even real dinosaurs?
• Wu argues that the guests will not like the visual conflict of large animals moving so fast.
• The reader knows that the speed of the dinosaurs will make the park impossible.
• Wu even labels the next version as ‘domesticated dinosaurs.’

“The DNA of the dinosaurs was like old photographs that had been retouched, basically the same as the original but in some places repaired and clarified, and as a result – ” Wu thinks of the issues with the dinosaurs, Page 142

“We’ve got a whole army of devices now – and they’re all too slow.” Wu, Page 143

“If you want to get something done, stay out of universities.” Page 144, Hammond’s guidance to Wu in a flashback after Atherton’s death

“And the work itself had shifted – it wasn’t even reptilian cloning, once they began to understand that dinosaurs were so similar to birds.” Page 145

“I see no reason to improve upon reality.” Page 146 Hammond to Wu

Crichton doesn’t formally call his chapters ‘chapters’ in the same way he calls his ‘sections’ ‘iterations’ – Chapter 20 is the first of eleven chapters that have the word ‘Control’ as the title, ten of them have the title solely as ‘Control’. Crichton uses every word to immerse his reader in the book and to help them follow the action.

Just as in ‘West World’ this theme park has a central area to observe the park, and its only logical that this be a great set piece for the reader to experience the story as it unravels. Crichton uses the word ‘control’ in several contexts:

• “The control room is built to do exactly that.” Page 131
• “First, the control procedures, our animals are counted by computer every few minutes.” Page 131 – this foreshadows one of the bigger reversals of this ‘computer counting approach’ in a later chapter.

Best Writing, Quotes

“He finally decided that children liked dinosaurs because these giant creatures personified the uncontrollable force of looming authority.”

Jurassic Park, Page 134, Dr. Grant

Crichton’s writing is satisfyingly stuffed with facts, data, and insight – this chapter is full of it. We get more examples of the Famous, Famous, Fictional trope. Tim, the grandson, has read Alan Grant’s book – this is an intra-literary epistle read by a character to establish credibility. In a flashback we see Nedry deduce that his software specs must be written around DNA, as that is the only field with such great demand for data.

The facts always arrive right on time to save the day, which is why Ian Malcolm’s skeptical world view works so well. All it takes is for one fact to not arrive and all the plans for the park will collapse. If the dinosaurs can’t breed, then it is clear they can be contained – if they can breed, then there is a much greater security requirement.

Page by Page Highlights, Quotes

“He smiled, “at one time, I thought I had more than twenty species. But now only fifteen.” – Page 129, Dr. Wu responds to Ian Malcolm’s questions

“And in the sixty million years since dinosaurs disappeared, apparently the bacteria that specialize in breaking down their feces disappeared, too.” – Page 130, Dr. Wu

“First, the control procedures: our animals are counted by computer every few minutes.” – Dr. Wu, Page 131

“One of the things the island doesn’t have is a good harbor, or even a good dock.” Page 132, Ed Regis

• Regis, despite being a key character in the novel, is not in the movie.
• A Reddit thread highlights that he was given many of Gennaro’s traits from the book.

“The velociraptors haven’t been integrated into the park setting just yet.” – page 133, Ed Regis

“He finally decided that children liked dinosaurs because these giant creatures personified the uncontrollable force of looming authority.” Page 134, Dr. Grant

“They can’t need all this just for a resort,” Malcolm said.” – Page 135 – More foreshadowing as the power is needed to keep the electric fences running to contain the dinosaurs.

“Only then did the animal attack, leaping up to strike the fence at chest level.” Page 136 – One raptor created a distraction, two attacked, then a third attacker waited for the rebound to test the strength of the electric fence.

“From beginning to end the entire attack could not have taken more than six seconds.” – Page 137

“It’s actually rather close to what paleontologists believed a long time ago.” – Page 138, Dr. Grant

“So I wonder: have they learned, somewhere along the line, that humans are easy to kill?” – Page 139, Malcolm to Grant.

• Here the reader knows something that the Jurassic Park evaluators do not yet know.
• In ‘Prologue: The Bite of the Raptor” we saw a man die.

“In any case,” Malcolm said, “I shall be extremely interested to see the control room now.” – Page 140, Ian Malcolm