Course Description
A consideration of literary works that serve as background to, expressions of, and commentary on the theory of evolution and its supporting sciences such as molecular genetics. In addition to Darwin, authors studied may include Mary Shelley, Thomas Huxley, H. G. Wells, Aldous Huxley, James Watson, Richard Powers, and Margaret Atwood.
Athena Title
LIT AND EVOLUTION
Prerequisite
ENGL 1102 or ENGL 1102M or ENGL 1050H or ENGL 1060H
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
The theory of evolution and its supporting sciences which include molecular genetics, paleontology, and developmental biology are fundamental to contemporary understanding of what it means to be human. Students will learn to understand: 1. the background, arguments, and rhetorical strategies Darwin's theory as presented in The Origin of Species 2. some preceding conceptions related to evolution as expressed in selected literary works 3. the impact of Darwin's theory on subsequent literature 4. modifications to Darwin's theory introduced by genetics and molecular biology as evidenced in contemporary literature 5. the fraught history of eugenics as evident in selected literary works In addition, students will develop the abilities: 1. to distinguish between narrative and scientific exposition 2. to write more skillfully through drafting and revision of required essays 3. to employ and deploy increased, and increasingly sophisticated, vocabulary
Topical Outline
Topical outlines will vary depending upon the instructor, but a possible reading list might look this: William Golding, The Inheritors (1955) Aeschylus (525-456 BCE), Prometheus Bound Erasmus Darwin, The Temple of Nature, Cantos I & II (1803) Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus (1818) Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species (1859) H.G. Wells, The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896) (w./ Kenton, dir.), Island of Lost Souls (1933) Simon Mawer, Mendel's Dwarf (1999) Aldous Huxley, Brave New World (1932) Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee, Inherit the Wind (1955/1960) James Watson, The Double Helix (1968) Richard Powers, The Gold Bug Variations (1991) Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake (2003) writing: 3 essays and a final research paper or project