| Description |
1 online resource (viii, 335 pages). |
|
text file |
| Series |
Modern Language Initiative
|
|
Modern Language Initiative.
|
| Summary |
"Male-male rivalry and female passive choice, the two principal tenets of Darwinian sexual selection, raise important ethical questions in The Descent of Man--and in the decades since--about the subjugation of women. If female choice is a key component of evolutionary success, what impact does the constraint of women's choices have on society? The elaborate courtship plots of 19th century Spanish novels, with their fixation on suitors and selectors, rivalry, and seduction, were attempts to grapple with the question of female agency in a patriarchal society. By reading Darwin through the lens of the Spanish realist novel and vice versa, Travis Landry brings new insights to our understanding of both: while Darwin's theories have often been seen as biologically deterministic, Landry asserts that Darwin's theory of sexual selection was characterized by an open ended dynamic whose oxymoronic emphasis on "passive" female choice carries the potential for revolutionary change in the status of women.Travis Landry is assistant professor of Spanish at Kenyon College."Travis Landry has an enviable gift for selecting the best quote to support an argument and it is truly a pleasure to read a book about canonical novels that has something new to say on every page." -Lou Charnon-Deutsch, State University of New York at Stony Brook "A fascinating book. Landry's work is groundbreaking because he never leaves Darwin behind to explore Spanish literature outfitted merely with a couple of Darwinian catchphrases. Rather, he has read and reread The Descent, and, much like Darwin working in nature, comes to see the workings of Darwinian principles infusing ideas and practices in Spanish culture, far more deeply than has previously been shown." -Dale Pratt, Brigham Young University"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Contents |
Acknowledgments; Introduction: The Indeterminacy of Natural Law; Part One: Origins ; 1. The Very Notion of "Real" Reciprocity between Literature and Science ; 2. The Power Dynamics of Sexual Selection; 3. Translations, Translators, and the Sexual Politics of Sexual Selection in Spain; Part Two: Adaptations; 4. Suitors and Selectors-Jacinto Octavio Picón; 5. Rivalries and Rituals-Leopoldo Alas (Clarín); 6. Heirs and Errors-Benito Pérez Galdós; Part Three: Speciations; 7. A Romance with Darwin in the Evolutionary Noche of Alejandro Sawa. |
|
8. The Religious Descent of Armando Palacio Valdés9. Emilia Pardo Bazán, Reproduction, and Change; Conclusion: The Imperfect Science of Conscience; Notes; Works Cited; Index. |
| Local Note |
eBooks on EBSCOhost EBSCO eBook Subscription Academic Collection - North America |
| Language |
English. |
| Subject |
Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882 -- Influence.
|
|
Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882. |
|
Sexual selection in literature.
|
|
Sexual selection in literature. |
|
Spanish fiction -- 19th century -- History and criticism.
|
|
Spanish fiction. |
| Chronological Term |
19th century |
| Subject |
Spanish fiction -- 20th century -- History and criticism.
|
| Chronological Term |
20th century |
| Subject |
Literature and science -- Spain.
|
|
Spain. |
|
LITERARY CRITICISM / European / Spanish & Portuguese. |
|
SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Evolution. |
|
Literature and science. |
|
HISTORY / Modern / 19th Century. |
|
Influence (Literary, artistic, etc.) |
| Chronological Term |
1800-1999 |
| Genre/Form |
Electronic books.
|
|
Electronic books.
|
|
Criticism, interpretation, etc.
|
| Added Author |
Modern Language Initiative.
|
| Other Form: |
Print version: Subversive seduction Seattle : University of Washington Press, 2012. 9780295992181 (hardback) (DLC) 2012025435 |
| ISBN |
9780295804422 ebook |
|
0295804424 |
|
9780295992181 hardback |
|
9780295992198 paperback |
|
0295992182 (hardback) |
|
0295992190 (paperback) |
|
