Publication Date: December 26, 2005 | Series: Rethinking Theory
In recent years, articles in major periodicals from the New York Times Magazine to the Times Literary Supplement have heralded the arrival of a new school of literary studies that promises-or threatens-to profoundly shift the current paradigm. This revolutionary approach, known as Darwinian literary studies, is based on a few simple premises: evolution has produced a universal landscape of the human mind that can be scientifically mapped; these universal tendencies are reflected in the composition, reception, and interpretation of literary works; and an understanding of the evolutionary foundations of human behavior, psychology, and culture will enable literary scholars to gain powerful new perspectives on the elements, form, and nature of storytelling.
The goal of this book is to overcome some of the widespread misunderstandings about the meaning of a Darwinian approach to the human mind generally, and literature specifically. The volume brings together scholars from the forefront of the new field of evolutionary literary analysis-both literary analysts who have made evolution their explanatory framework and evolutionist scientists who have taken a serious interest in literature-to show how the human propensity for literature and art can be properly framed as a true evolutionary problem. Their work is an important step toward the long-prophesied synthesis of the humanities and what Steven Pinker calls "the new sciences of human nature."
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As an evolutionary biologist with a strong interest in literary theory, finding this book was extremely exciting for me, and it definitely lived up to my expectations. The book consists of a collection of thought provoking, well written essays that emphasize the need to incorporate evolutionary theory into the analysis of literature (and a few other art forms) and provide strong examples of the benefits of using this technique. The contributing authors come from a wide range of disciplines and bring a variety of views to the text. Some of my favorite essays included an analysis of Pride and Prejudice using evolutionary themes, an investigation of male-male bonds in narratives, and a discussion of the possible benefits we receive from watching/reading drama. I strongly recommend this for anyone who is interested in evolution, literature, or human nature.
Literary Animal is a relief to those of us who find that traditional literary theory just doesn't fit the empirical world. Insightful, fair, and balanced, the text is stimulating on a variety of levels, with measured critiques of existing theoretical approaches, and applications of evolutionary theory to a variety of literary tales. A gate-way text for students and teachers of this new theoretical paradigm.
