Dickens and Heredity When Like Begets Like [Hardcover]

Despite the modern obsession with genetics and reproductive technology, very little has been written about Dickens's fascination with heredity, nor the impact that this fascination had on his novels . Dickens and Heredity is an attempt to rectify that omission by describing the hereditary theories that were current in Dickens's time and how these are reflected in his fiction. The book also argues that Dickens jettisoned his earlier belief in the prescriptive and deterministic potential of heredity after Darwin published The Origin of the Species in 1859.Introduction Whatever Lives Inherits: An Historical Overview of the Hereditary Puzzle PART 1: HEREDITY AND THE INDIVIDUAL The Inheritance of Goodness: The Early Books The Inheritance of Goodness: David Copperfield and Pip Illegitimacy and Villainy: The Negative Aspects of Heredity PART 2: THE PUBLIC FACES OF HEREDITY Heredity, Class and Race After The Origin: The Last Three Novels A Few Last Words Endnotes Index

'In Dickens and Heredity Goldie Morgentaler not only draws attention to a little-studied aspect of this continuingly popular Victorian novelist, his fascination with heredity and his constant deployment of amazing resemblances between children and parents, but also delineates the contemporary theories of heredity which had an impact on his fiction.' - Galton Institute Newsletter

'Dickens is usually seen as a writer whose characters are connected to their social backgrounds...But this book, by showing that especially in his early work Dickens placed importance on inherited traits rather than environment, strikes down this preconception...Morgentaler is at her best when she offers insightful readings of the novels...some of the analysis, such as the examination of A Tale of Two Cities or Our Mutual Friend, makes for fanscinating reading.' - Wendy Thatcher, Montreal Gazette

The result of [Morgentaler's] thoughtful, intelligent planning is a well grounded, substantial blÓ6