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