This book applies evolutionary human sciences to analyze character organization in 19th-century British novels. The author, Joseph Carroll, constructs a model of human nature to illuminate the evolved psychology shaping these characters, drawing on reader ratings of character attributes and emotional responses. The study investigates the determinacy of literary meaning, the interplay of gender and community ethos, and the adaptive function of morally polarized characterization, with focused case studies on Jane Austen and Thomas Hardy.

This work presents a rigorous academic analysis, applying a specific theoretical framework from evolutionary psychology to literary studies. Its methodology, relying on quantitative reader data and detailed textual analysis, suggests a dense, scholarly approach aimed at specialists in literary criticism and evolutionary psychology. The focus on established authors like Austen and Hardy indicates an engagement with canonical works to test broader theories of literary meaning and character construction.