Faculty Author Series: Laurence Gregorio

Maupassant's Fiction and the Darwinian View of Life by Laurence Gregorio

Maupassant's Fiction and the Darwinian View of Life presents evolutionary theory through novels and short stories in a way accessible to students of literature and science alike. The book first explains the theoretical basis and Guy de Maupassant's affinity for it. Then it studies one short story, "La Ficelle," in its entirety, proposing a new and interesting interpretation based on evidence read through a Darwinian lens. The remaining chapters organize a lively Darwinian reading of Maupassant according to topics such as natural selection, heredity, and materialism.

The book shows that Darwinism and the economic variety of Social Darwinism figure significantly in Maupassant's fiction. The book is primarily written for students and teachers of Naturalism and Darwinism across the liberal arts.

Laurence A. Gregorio is professor of French at Gettysburg College. He received his Ph.D. in French literature from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to numerous articles, he has authored books on Madame de Lafayette and Honoré d'Urfé. His professional interests range from literary theory and seventeenth-century literature to naturalism and the influence of Darwin across the liberal arts.

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