The text discusses the infighting of literature and natural sciences in the 19th century, which came about as a result of the theory of evolution. Probably, Darwin created the greatest narrative of the 19th century. What can literature say that would be more interesting than two of Darwin’s works: On the Origins of Species and The Descent of Man? The images of fight and death of species, infinite time perspective of events, a total universality of the plot and a collective character, turned the theory of evolution into the biggest competitor of a novel. Darwin’s multithreaded narrative, quite often written in Dickens’s style, resembles a novel but exceeds it through the factuality of science. How did novel react to such an unexpected rival?
JavaScript is turned off in your web browser. Turn it on to take full advantage of this site, then refresh the page.