Essay Questions

Which 19th century figured who coined the phrase “survival of the fittest” wields the greatest scientific influence over “Mold of the Earth” as well as many other works by Prus?

Anyone who is sitting there with a smut look of self-satisfaction on their face for answering this question with the Father of Evolution, Charles Darwin, can just wipe that look clean off right now. While the term “survival of the fittest” has unfortunately become almost inseparable with Darwinian evolution, the fact is that the phrase never once occurs in the writings of Darwin as original thought. The phrase was instead invented by anthropologist-biologist-sociologist, Herbert Spencer, in response to first reading Darwin’s theories on evolution. “Mold of the Earth” is a story that treats the titular life forms as a metaphor for humanity with a focus on the violent struggle for survival within both societies and it is perhaps the work of Prus which most spectacularly reveals the depth of influence that Spencer had on the shaping of ideas in his writing.

“The Waistcoat” is a tale that contains elements similar to which extremely successful American author of short stories?

The American author who published under the pen name and is familiarly known as O. Henry was such a master of a certain type of story that if it weren’t awkward phrased, all subsequent stories that follow a similar path would be called O.Henry-esque. Of course, since O. Henry began publishing just shortly before Prus died, it would be a mistake to suggest the influence went in that direction. Indeed, perhaps the influence went strongly in the other direction and the type of stories which O. Henry is best known can be traced directly back to at least this story by Prus if not others. Regardless, reading the “The Waistcoat” is very much like reading a story by the American who excelled in building a narrative around—and which drove relentlessly toward—an ironic revelation which somehow manages to be both comical and tragic at the same time.

In the story “Shades” what title does the narrator give to those unseen and unappreciated forces of good that light the path through darkness in the universe?

“Shades” is yet another very short story by Prus that is much longer on philosophical thought than on character development or plot. In fact, there really is no plot to speak of and the main character is as much metaphor as he is human being. He is known only to the narrator and everybody the narrator comes in contract with as “the lamplighter” and such is his status in society that his very recent death grants him only an unpainted coffin buried somewhere in the paupers section of the graveyard. This ignominious ending despite his being personally responsible literally turning night into day in Warsaw by lighting the lamps which give illumination to its streets.