CHARLES DARWIN

1809 - 1882
Scientist
Theorist
Author
Naturalist
  Charles Darwin was born in
Shrewsbury, England on
the February 12, 1809
 His father was a wealthy
doctor and financier,
Robert Darwin and his
mother was Susannah
Darwin.
 Charles was baptized in the
Anglican Church in keeping
with his mother’s religious
beliefs.
 At age 16 he was sent to
Darwin’s study medicine at the
University of Edinburgh,
Youth where he was repelled by
surgery performed without
anesthetics … he left
school.
 Darwin’s
Schooling
 In 1827 he started theology studies at
Christ's College, Cambridge
 He was drawn to collect plants, insects,
and geological specimens.
 He pursued his interests in taxidermy,
natural history, marine biology, botany
and zoology.
 At Cambridge he studied botany with the
Reverend John Stevens Henslow
 It was Henslow that recommended
Charles to Robert FitzRoy, who was the
caption of the HMS Beagle.
 HMS BEAGLE
 Missions purpose was to chart the coastline of
South America.
 The voyage lasted 5 years.
 Darwin spent a majority of that time on land
and collected a variety of fossils and
specimens of living organisms.
 Studying the mockingbirds and tortoises in the
area, the theory of the origin of the species
began to take root in his mind.
 In 1836, when he returned from his voyage, he
was already quite famous. He had proved
himself as a competent naturalist. Upon his
return, he began catalog his collections and
botanical specimens.
 HMS Beagle’s Research

 In 1837 he presented his paper on the rising

landmasses to the Geological Society of London.
 He also received a grant of 1000 Pounds for his
book ‘Zoology of the Voyage of the HMS Beagle’
 In 1838, Darwin became the secretary of the
Geological Society. Meanwhile he continued with
his studies of transmutation of the species.
 Most of the time he worked toward the completion
of his book Origin of Species … which he feared to
release because he believed that most would work
to debunk all of his theories.
Naturalism & Darwin
 Darwin’s theories and ideas bore
out of Origin of Species inspired
not only a movement in science,
but a movement in literature.
 The revolt in thought created in
Darwin’s theories reverberated
through science, religion, politics
and literature.
 Emile Zola coined the phrase,
"human beasts.”
 Naturali sm:
•The term
Naturalism
naturalism describes
a type of literature
that attempts to
apply scientific
principles of
objectivity and
detachment to its
study of human
beings.
:
 Human Beasts:
Characters, in literature, can be
studied through their
relationships to their
surroundings.
Naturalistic writers thus used a
version of the scientific method
to write their novels; they
studied human beings governed
by their instincts and passions.
Naturalism is the application of
the principles of scientific