The Fall of Man; Or, The Loves of the Gorillas : A Popular Scientific Lecture Upon the Darwinian Theory of Development by Sexual Selection

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

White, Richard Grant, 1821-1885

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Fall of Man; Or, The Loves of the Gorillas" by Richard Grant White is a satirical work that blends humor with popular science, written during the early 1870s. This unique book serves as a scientific lecture presented from the perspective of a learned gorilla, exploring the Darwinian theory of evolution and sexual selection in animals. It reflects the Victorian era's fascination with science and the evolution of species, while simultaneously highlighting the absurdities and follies of human behavior. The narrative unfolds as the gorilla lecturer addresses a gathering of his fellow creatures, expounding upon humanity's descent from primates and the resulting qualities that separate humans from their illustrious ancestors. Through a series of humorous and exaggerated anecdotes-including romantic pursuits among gorillas, a sea-serpent encounter, and the eventual "fall" of gorillas into being more human-like-White critiques societal norms, human relationships, and the concept of progress. The lecture cleverly intertwines elements of evolution with satirical commentary on gender dynamics and the pitfalls of modern civilization, ultimately painting a broad picture of how unwise choices can lead to degradation. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by deaurider, Barry Abrahamsen, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

Notes:

Reading ease score: 62.8 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Release date is 2018-11-24