Evolution at Cranford

As a general rule most anything that accurately discusses the way human beings interact socially will have something in common with Darwin’s theories. Certainly people, and groups of people, evolve and adapt in order to best survive in their environment. The interesting thing in “Our Society at Cranford” is the way in which Cranford changes, very, very gradually, and how slowly behaviors and things that start out either acceptable or unacceptable, become the opposite.

There are several instances throughout “Our Society at Cranford” that do correspond with Darwinian theory. Because the women are so overpowering at Cranford, the men tend to disappear, whether, “he is accounted for by being with his regiment, his ship, or closely engaged in business all the week…” the men are not around, because “What could they do if they were there?” The women are so dominating that the men do not have a place, so they have adapted, and chosen to leave the town. They have also adapted in that because none of the residents are rich they have made the unofficial decision to keep the poverty “unacknowledged…it was considered ‘vulgar’ to give anything expensive…at the evening entertainments.” In choosing to overlook the poverty that is a part of their environment, they sort of overcome it. The Darwinian theory becomes most interesting when the Captain arrives, as he is seemingly quite widely disliked by the ‘society’ women, but this in no way changes his behavior: he continues to do the things that are right regardless of how this affects his reputation. Because he refuses to change, the women of Cranford slowly begin to accept him, and upon his death they are distraught, and take care of his daughters. Also, in the final paragraph there is an example of a sort of ‘evolution’ of the town, as Miss Jenkyns is dying, and lamenting the existence of Charles Dickens, all the while Flora is reading “A Christmas Carol” which Miss Jenkyns would have fought against vehemently if she were aware of it.