Madame Bovary's Ovaries: A Darwinian Look at LiteratureDelacorte Press, 2005 - 262 Seiten What can elephant seals tell us about Homer’sIliad? How do gorillas illuminate the works of Shakespeare? What do bloodsucking bats have to do with John Steinbeck? MADAME BOVARY’S OVARIES A Darwinian Look at Literature According to evolutionary psychologist David Barash and his daughter Nanelle, the answers lie in the most important word in biology: evolution. Just like every animal from mites to monkeys, our day-to-day behavior has been shaped by millions of years of natural selection. So it should be no surprise to learn that the natural forces that drive animals in general and Homo sapiens in particular are clearly visible in the creatures of literature, from Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones all the way to Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones. Seen through the lens of evolutionary biology, the witty repartee of Jane Austen’s courting couples, Othello’s tragic rage, the griping of Holden Caulfield, and the scandalous indiscretions of Madame Bovary herself all make a fresh and exciting kind of sense. The ways we fall in—and out—of love, stand by our friends, compete against our enemies, and squabble with our families have their roots in biological imperatives we share not only with other primates but with an amazing array of other creatures. The result is a new way to read, a novel approach to novels (and plays) that reveals how human nature underlies literature, from the great to the not-so-great. Using the cutting-edge ideas of contemporary Darwinism, the authors show how the heroes and heroines of our favorite stories have been molded as much by evolution as by the genius of their creators, revealing a gallery of characters from Agamemnon to Alexander Portnoy, who have more in common with birds, fish, and other mammals than we could ever have imagined. As engaging and informative as a good story,Madame Bovary’s Ovariesis both an accessible introduction to a fascinating area of science and a provocatively sideways look at our cherished literary heritage. Most of all, it shows in a delightfully enteraining way how science and literature shed light on each other. From the Hardcover edition. |
Inhalt
The Human Nature of Stories | 1 |
Othello and Other Angry Fellows | 14 |
The Key to Jane Austens Heart | 38 |
Urheberrecht | |
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Andere Ausgaben - Alle anzeigen
Madame Bovary's Ovaries: A Darwinian Look at Literature David P. Barash,Nanelle R. Barash Eingeschränkte Leseprobe - 2008 |
Madame Bovary's Ovaries: A Darwinian Look at Literature David P. Barash,Nanelle R. Barash Eingeschränkte Leseprobe - 2006 |
Madame Bovary's Ovaries: A Darwinian Look at Literature David P. Barash,Nanelle R. Barash Eingeschränkte Leseprobe - 2007 |
Häufige Begriffe und Wortgruppen
adult adultery Aegisthus Aeneas Aeneas's Aeneid altruism animals attractive baby bank swallow bats behavior biological biologists blood bluethroat body brother characters child Clytemnestra comes Compson contrast Corleone Cosette creatures cuckolded D'Artagnan daughter depicted Dmitri Emma especially eventually evolutionary evolutionary biology example expected fact father Faulkner's female friends friendship Gatsby girl Henry hero Holden Caulfield Huck human nature husband hypergamy imagination inclinations infidelity Jane Austen Jane Eyre Karenin killed kin selection ladies least less literary literature living look lover Madame Bovary Madame Bovary's Ovaries male-male competition mammals married mate McTeague monogamy Moreover mother murder nonetheless novel once Othello parent-offspring conflict partners polygyny reader reciprocal altruism reciprocity reproductive sense sexual jealousy sexy Shakespeare shared genes simply sister social someone else's sperm stepparent story success Sutpen tale Tess Thénardier things tion turn typically vampire wealthy wife woman women young
Verweise auf dieses Buch
Jane Austen & Charles Darwin: Naturalists and Novelists Peter W. Graham Eingeschränkte Leseprobe - 2008 |