• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.189-198
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• 2024

In this papery, we study the diverse dynamics of human personality formation, examining the harmonious interplay between innate traits and the surrounding environment. Our focus is on Charles Dickens' renowned work, "Oliver Twist," where Dickens underscores the critical role of both the environment and innate traits in shaping personalities. We explore Dickens' unique perspective, emphasizing the deep insights gained through his work. The paper outlines the research background, stressing the topic's importance and explaining the necessity of addressing this crucial issue. The significance of choosing "Oliver Twist" as the research subject is highlighted, underscoring its special relevance. The main content thoroughly investigates how innate traits and the environment profoundly influence individual personality formation. Contrary to common assumptions, Dickens' perspective unequivocally highlights the greater importance of innate traits. Our analysis supports this claim, examining key scenes and characters in "Oliver Twist." By exploring his distinctive viewpoint on the environment's impact on personality formation, we enhance understanding of theinteraction between innate traits and the environment. Focused on "Oliver Twist," our goal is to provide contemporary readers with profound insights into how personal characteristics evolve and are shaped by environmental factors, utilizing Dickens' masterpiece as a central reference point.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.44
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• pp.411-430
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• 2016

One of central issues in the Literature and Science discourses during the Victorian era is the relation of physiology to psychology. Many thinkers tackle the question of whether or not psychic phenomena can be reducible to their physiological bases. For instance, Victorian physiologist William Benjamin Carpenter claims that there should be a boundary between physiological and psychological qualities. Yet, his contemporary writer Grant Allen contends for the reduction of psychology into physiology. In the essay, I discuss Grant Allen's work Physiological Aesthetics (1877) so as to eventually problematize his physiological reductionism. I especially highlight the paradox of his physiological aesthetics. In order to clarify my argument, I introduce two concepts: evolutionary aesthetics and physiological reductionism. On the one hand, Allen argues for the development of aesthetic appreciation. The gradual evolution from gaudy to serene colors, for instance, reflects the fine differentiation of sensory organs. He believes that the existence of varied aesthetic pleasures corresponds to the evolution of sensory nerve structures. Nonetheless, Allen ironically gives more weight to the commonality of aesthetic experiences than to this teleological ordering of aesthetic experiences. He argues that there is no fundamental difference among humans in terms of their aesthetic assessments. Furthermore, there is even no essential distinction among plants, animals, and humans in light of their aesthetic appraisals, he states firmly. Although he asserts the gradual advance of aesthetic feelings caused by the intricacy of nervous systems, he simultaneously trivializes the evolution of aesthetic appraisal. In the essay, I highlight this paradox in Allen's physiological aesthetics. It should be underscored, lamentably enough, that Allen seeks biological purity by erasing fine lines among physiology, psychology, and sociality. He estranges aesthetic experiences from subjective variations and their socio-cultural contexts. He makes great efforts to eliminate individual differences and socio-cultural specificities in order to extremely biologize aesthetic experiences. Hence, Allen's physiological aesthetics is marked as the politics of physiological purification.