Darwinian Literary Analysis of Sexuality

Abstract

(from the chapter) Literary Darwinists draw upon research and theory from evolutionary psychology to analyze fictional, dramatic, and poetic representations of human behavior A product of imaginative and aesthetic energies, literature offers special insight into universals of human nature. In the arena of literary make-believe, characters confront choices and difficulties mimicking those in real life, enabling readers to rehearse behavioral options, ponder social complexities, and study hypothetical life histories. From problem-solving to wish-fulfillment, art consistently engages deep seated human concerns. Prominent among these is a preoccupation with the human condition itself. Literature serves as a forum in which writers and readers can examine, celebrate, question, deplore, and defy the forces constraining their existence. Individual texts do not merely illustrate the operations of evolved adaptations; they scrutinize and evaluate these in specific environmental contexts. They offer fascinating glimpses into the psyche of an animal intelligent enough to discern and assess the workings of its own mental and emotional processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved)