Evolution and Imagination in Victorian Children’s Literature is a Cambridge study in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture by Jessica Straley. The evolution of man has been theorized numerous times with much of the theories falling on speculation rather than scientific proof. The theories themselves have also evolved into popular ideas that are now massively accepted as facts. One of the ideas that have stood the test of time is that human infants originate from animals. This gradual change and evolution are all part of the bigger ascension of species to the ultimate being that sits at the top of the animal kingdom.
Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species was such an influential publication. It’s often cited as the definitive exploration of the human species and origin. Scientists and folklorists began drawing inspiration from Darwin’s words. Literary works comprising beasts and savage humans began to emerge in pop culture. Authors like Charles Kingsley adopted this form of storytelling and turned it into a fan favorite for a society that desperately wanted to understand and relate to their origin.
Straley takes on the same evolution story and is determined to provide it with a worthy ending that pays great homage and respect to the imaginative worlds of humanity’s evolution. While these narratives became deeply rooted in society, the rise and focus on science and evidence-backed theories have proven to be the death of this type of imaginative writing. As more literary works are rooted in reality, this type of writing remains as a remnant of a time when the only thing humanity had to seek their origin was speculation.
