The French Lieutenant's Woman

How does Fowles present the theme of change?

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Darwinism is controversial partly for the reason that its implications are huge, and extend beyond the realm of biology. Thanks to Darwin's ideas, the Victorians are beginning to realize that everything "is in reality a continuous flux," and species that we recognize have changed and will continue to change over time (45). Nothing is stable, and soon nothing will be quite as it was. Of course, the Victorians do not like this idea, since they are very attached to their traditions, and are very conservative in many ways. There are many huge social changes taking place during this era: changes in the position of women, in the traditional class system structure, and in people's attitudes toward religion, sex, and a host of other things. It seems that the shift to the Darwinian perspective precipitates and mirrors other shifts in the Victorian consciousness.