The Lost World: Character Sketch

Rollins Olmsted
Character Sketch

Dr. Richard Levine’s tombstone could certainly have been inscribed with the following:

Gifted yet narcissistic and impetuous

An exceptionally gifted paleontologist, Levine, was simultaneously respected and loathed by his colleagues. “He was famous for his photographic memory, his arrogance, his sharp tongue, and the unconcealed pleasure he took in pointing out the errors of colleagues” (p. 18). Dr. Levine grew up with every advantage, the heir to a vast family fortune. His privileged upbringing afforded him educational and career paths free from obstructions and detours. Though born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Levine did not consume ample servings of maturity and patience. Therefore, he impulsively rushed off to Isla Sorna, ultimately putting his life and the lives of his colleagues in jeopardy. Throughout the novel, The Lost World, Dr. Levine considered himself and his assumptions to be correct while arrogantly disregarding everyone else and their findings. A parallel could effortlessly be drawn between Levine and the InGen scientists who genetically engineered the lost world’s dinosaurs. Both were solely concerned with producing a desired outcome and seemed oblivious to the harmful consequences of their actions. Though Levine’s sense of superiority remained steadfast, he was forced to transform himself ever so slightly towards the novel’s climax. In order to insure his own survival and that of his expedition, Levine found it necessary to use his intelligence for a purpose beyond his own self-centered ambition. Still, Levine’s metamorphosis was only momentary, and he ultimately accepted no responsibility for the expedition’s disastrous conclusion. Failing to assign himself any blame whatsoever, Levine advised a fellow scientist that “This was all your fault” (p. 355). In keeping with his character, Dr. Richard Levine refused to hold himself accountable or relinquish control. In all likelihood, Levine’s autobiographical epitaph would be prepared well in advance of its appointed date.

Brilliant, omniscient, and supreme