<p>The four decades which followed the publication of Charles Darwin•s The Origin of Species in 1859 saw the concept of evolution spread throughout the sciences. and indeed into virtually every field of intellectual inquiry. In literature, evolutionary concepts gave rise, broadly speaking, to two kinds of writing: discursive and associative. The actual debate which erupted upon publication of Darwin•s theory of natural selection quickly gave rise to a large body of discursive literature in which the ramifications of evolutionary theory were examined. Undoubtedly this discursive prose influenced scientists and non-scientific readers alike, and helped to make Darwinian concepts a part of our culture. This thesis provides evidence that Canadian writers took part in the debate on evolution, producing a body of discursive prose, and it also shows that Canadian imaginative literature has been affected by that debate in significant ways.</p> <p>Four of the eight writers dealt with in this thesis wrote non-fictional prose. Daniel Wilson (1816-1892; ethnologist and literary critic) and William Dawson (18201899); geologist and paleontologist) are authors of critiques of Darwinism in which their individual scientific interests play important roles. Goldwin Smith {1823-1910; historian and journalist) and William LeSueur (1840-1917; social critic) direct their rationalistic arguments at the social implications of science.</p> <p>Imaginative literature in which evolution shows important influence appeared in Canada with the Confederation poets. Poetry by three of them --Charles G. D. Roberts (1861-1945}, Archibald Lampman {1861-1899) and Wilfred Campbell {1858-1918)· --is discussed in the thesis. In their poetry there is certainly an effort to define man in the light of the new scientific knowledge, and also a marked tendency to see the idealistic possibilities inherent in evolution. On the other hand, the fiction of Charles G. D. Roberts focuses on the realistic aspects of Darwinism.</p> <p>The culminating figure in this thesis is E. J. Pratt. The influence of the earlier literature of evolution is evident in Pratt's poetry. His scientific orientation which appears in his fascination with mechanism in nature and man, and in his use of scientific terms and imagery --strongly suggests the influence of the debate on evolution, and of wilderness literature such as Roberts' fiction.</p> <p>In terms of the structure of the thesis, the seven chapter divisions set off individual studies which depend for the most part on primary sources, and which are held together by a common theme. The chapters are further related by the evidence they provide for the existence of an imaginative continuum, according to which "writers are conditioned in their attitudes by their predecessors, or by the cultural climate of their predecessors, whether 1 there is conscious influence or not".</p> <p>The specifically Canadian dimension observed in the literature of evolution analyzed here derives from that activity of the· imagination which seeks to create a unified vision of reality. The associative literature in particular presents a world in which the specific physical environment merges with the intellectual framework in which the debate on evolution was conducted. Thus, although there is nothing specifically Canadian about evolutionary theory, evolutionary concepts have become important to Canadian literature.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/14228 |
| Date | 09 1900 |
| Creators | Reimer, James Howard |
| Contributors | Ballstadt, Carl, English |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
Page generated in 0.0067 seconds