Nature Versus Nurture

How much of our identity is shaped by our environments? How much is intrinsic to who we are and beyond the control of external forces? These are ancient questions with complex answers. In this collection we've gathered texts that explore the issue of nature versus nurture from a variety of angles.

Publication year 1858

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Animals, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Grief

Tags Education, Education, Classic Fiction


Publication year 1989

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Environment

Tags Science / Nature, History: World

The Control of Nature by John McPhee was published in 1989 and includes three essays/articles reported from different geographic locales that reflect one common theme: man attempting to control nature. McPhee got his start in journalism writing for Time magazine. He has written for The New Yorker for several decades and has published 30 books, including Annals of the Former World, for which he received the Pulitzer Prize. He has also taught writing at Princeton... Read The Control of Nature Summary


Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Society: Community, Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: The Past, Identity: Disability, Life/Time: The Future, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Society: Education, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth

Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Mental Illness, Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Education, Education, Parenting, Psychology, Psychology, Self Help


Publication year 1851

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature

Tags Imagist poetry, Romanticism / Romantic Period, Victorian Period


Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Relationships: Siblings, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature

Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Action / Adventure

The Eyes of the Dragon was originally self-published by Stephen King in 1984 with Philtrum Press. The first edition, illustrated by Kenneth R. Linkhauser, had a limited run, and the books were mostly given as gifts by the author. Three years later, Viking published a mass-market version with new illustrations by David Palladini. The novel was a departure for King, who had earned a reputation as a master of horror novels by the 1980s. Instead... Read The Eyes of the Dragon Summary


Publication year 2006

Genre Reference/Text Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Midlife, Relationships: Marriage, Relationships: Mothers, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature

Tags Psychology, Science / Nature, Health / Medicine, Self Help, Gender / Feminism, Relationships, Love / Sexuality


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Fate

Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, WWII / World War II, Holocaust, Military / War, History: World, Romance


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family, Society: Class

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Gothic Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Life/Time: Birth, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Flora/plants, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Children's Literature, Animals, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Fantasy


Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Community, Identity: Sexuality

Tags Fantasy, Magical Realism, Romance, LGBTQ

The House in the Cerulean Sea (2020) is a queer fantasy novel by TJ Klune, Lambda Award-winning author of The Extraordinaires and the Green Creek series. Klune is a queer author whose works often explore supernatural elements. Many mythological species feature in this novel, while other books focus on werewolves, ghosts, and the like. The book explores themes of Nature Versus Nurture, The Perpetuation of Prejudice, and Found Family.Klune’s work, particularly The House in the... Read The House in the Cerulean Sea Summary


Publication year 1905

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Class, Society: Community, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Economics, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Equality, Identity: Gender, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Hope

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Satire, Class, Gilded Age, Naturalism, American Literature, History: World

Set in New York’s high society at the turn of the 20th century, The House of Mirth (1905), was the second novel by renowned American writer Edith Wharton. Wharton drew upon her own privileged upbringing in a wealthy, long-established New York family for her astute observations of this social milieu during the Gilded Age, a period marked by economic disparities and ostentatious materialism. Prior to the novel’s publication in October 1905, The House of Mirth... Read The House of Mirth Summary


Publication year 2002

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Children's Literature, Education, Education, Fantasy, Action / Adventure

Published in 2002, Nancy Farmer’s The House of the Scorpion is a young adult science fiction novel that earned a US National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. It is set in the futuristic country of Opium, which is situated along the border of the United States and what was once Mexico. The protagonist, a clone of Opium’s dictator and drug lord, struggles with his identity. His experience articulates a complex argument about the potential... Read The House of the Scorpion Summary


Publication year 1896

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Animals, Emotions/Behavior: Fear

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction

The Island of Doctor Moreau is an 1896 science fiction novel written by the English novelist H.G. Wells. Wells’s experiences researching and teaching biology inform the novel, as do contemporary debates about the practice of vivisection (the practice of performing experiments on live animals). By describing frightening and fantastical events, Wells explores themes of power structures, violence, and what it means to be human. This guide references the 2005 Penguin Classics edition. Content Warning: The... Read The Island of Doctor Moreau Summary


Publication year 1826

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: The Future

Tags Classic Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Gothic Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, History: World


Publication year 1995

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature

Tags Lyric Poem, Animals


Publication year 2018

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature


Publication year 1982

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature

Tags History: World, Sociology, Anthropology, Anthropology, Science / Nature, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics / Government

The Mismeasure of Man, by Stephen Jay Gould, is a survey and critique of 19th- and 20th-century theories that posited human intelligence was a fixed and measurable number. Gould argues that mainstream scientists were not immune to the widespread racist and prejudicial beliefs of their time, and that these unconscious biases underlie the history of biological determinism, or the argument that shared human behavior is innate and primarily controlled by biology. Under this argument, social... Read The Mismeasure Of Man Summary


Publication year 1980

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Relationships: Family, Life/Time: Coming of Age

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Fantasy, American Literature, Classic Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Animals

Tags Animals, Fantasy, Realistic Fiction, Action / Adventure, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2011

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Natural World: Nurture v. Nature, Natural World: Environment

Tags Science / Nature, Education, Education, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Health / Medicine

In The Nature Principle, journalist and environmentalist Richard Louv calls for action against the nature-deficit disorder, a term he introduced in his bestselling novel Last Child in the Woods. Nature-deficit disorder is the mental, spiritual, emotional and physical detriment caused by a lack of connection with our natural environment. Written in five parts, Louv makes a compelling argument for decreasing the nature-deficit disorder in adults and presents recommendations for how to do so. Louv bases... Read The Nature Principle Summary