The Clan of the Cave Bear | Themes
Nature versus Nurture
One of the most prevalent themes in The Clan of the Cave Bear is the idea of "nature versus nurture"; in other words, is the way one behaves more controlled by genetics or environment? Auel insists that The Clan survives only by following the traditional rules and gender roles to the point where they have become incapable of change and cannot adapt to new situations. For example, Clan women do not hunt simply because women do not hunt: they do not want to hunt. She also describes the Clan woman as naturally submissive and...
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