Existentialism and Darwinism provide a means of viewing the development of personal freedom in a young English gentleman, Charles Smithson. Guided by Sarah Woodruff, a social outcast, Charles approaches freedom through the existential conditions of terror, anguish, and despair; he encounters alienation, human finitude, and the loss of a relationship with God on the way. The realization of his trapped state is aided by the Darwinian analogy present in the novel: the monied leisure class to which Charles belongs is presented as the species approaching extinction because it fails to make the changes necessary to survive changed conditions. The novel's two endings combine existential and Darwinian elements to present to Charles the choice that can help him escape his trapped state and gain freedom.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc504115 |
| Date | 08 1900 |
| Creators | Lee, Cynthia Bullock |
| Contributors | Mitchell, Giles R., Smith, John T., Sale, Richard, 1930- |
| Publisher | North Texas State University |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | iii, 98 leaves, Text |
| Rights | Public, Lee, Cynthia Bullock, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. |
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