Daffodil International University

Faculty of Humanities and Social Science => English => Topic started by: Shahriar Mohammad Kamal on July 04, 2015, 09:41:02 AM

Title: Psychologists: Victorian Novels Helped Us To Evolve
Post by: Shahriar Mohammad Kamal on July 04, 2015, 09:41:02 AM
Victorian novels didn't just tout moralistic values of 19th-century British society, they helped altruistic genes flourish, a study claims. Evolutionary psychologists say classic characters such as Mr. Darcy and Count Dracula helped instill and promote a sense of right and wrong in society, the Guardian reports, specifically the notion that cooperation trumps individual power.

These novels functioned much like cautionary oral tales in previous societies, they argue. Take Dorothea in Middlemarch, who shuns wealth to help the poor. Outliers like Wuthering Heights’ Heathcliff reflect the costs of maintaining social order. “By enforcing these norms, humans succeed in controlling ‘free riders’ or ‘cheaters’ and made it possible for genuinely altruistic genes to survive,” the researchers claim. [Coll.]
Title: Re: Psychologists: Victorian Novels Helped Us To Evolve
Post by: Afroza Akhter Tina on July 04, 2015, 03:20:40 PM
I got 'Wuthering Heights' when I stood first(combined)in std.v at my school...I had different types of interpretation then and now when I try to make a comparison,I don't find myself pointless  ;)  :P




Afroza Akhter Tina
Senior Lecturer
Department of English, DIU
Title: Re: Psychologists: Victorian Novels Helped Us To Evolve
Post by: Subrata.eng on July 23, 2015, 02:43:09 PM
No literary piece is bound to any specific interpretation. So, having multifarious interpretations is  quite common. Thanks both of you for sharing. 
Title: Re: Psychologists: Victorian Novels Helped Us To Evolve
Post by: Mir Sadia Siddequa on July 23, 2015, 09:37:10 PM
 :)
Title: Re: Psychologists: Victorian Novels Helped Us To Evolve
Post by: Afroza Akhter Tina on July 26, 2015, 11:37:54 AM
Right Subrata sir  :)




Afroza Akhter Tina
Senior Lecturer
Department of English, DIU
Title: Re: Psychologists: Victorian Novels Helped Us To Evolve
Post by: Tahsina on July 26, 2015, 12:09:26 PM
Victorian novels, apart from this moralistic approach, always fascinate me with the portrayal of characters who demand various psychological interpretations.