| Since 1859, Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, as explained in On the Origin of Species, has greatly influenced literature and, in particular, the novel. Recently, as a reaction against post-modernism, a group of literary critics, led by Edward O. Wilson, have expressed a renewed interest in Darwinian theory. Applying the concepts of evolutionary theory to the novels of the twentieth-century British writer Penelope Lively (1933-- ) reveals the development of a new type of epic narrative, one that focuses on chance, contingency, chaos, genetics, and sexual selection as factors affecting the human condition, as opposed to religion, design, and psychoanalysis. Even so, Lively incorporates many post-modern elements into her work, including emphases on the subjective nature of time, memory, and history. Ultimately, her novels may be viewed primarily as neo-Darwinist texts that also display some characteristics of post-modernism. |
