The Origin of Species · Character
Asa Gray
America's foremost botanist and one of Darwin's earliest champions, lending the dangerous new theory scientific weight on the far side of the Atlantic.
supporting
Also known as Asa Gray, Dr. Asa, Dr. Asa Gray, Dr. Gray, Professor Asa Gray
First appearance: i variation under domestication
As a supporting figure in The Origin of Species, Asa Gray is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Quoted commenting on De Candolle's oak memoir, noting that characters used in specific definitions often vary on the same tree.
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Gray belongs to the small circle of authorities Darwin cites to show that the idea of species as permanent, separately created kinds was already crumbling before his book appeared. Darwin gathers precursors like Wells,…
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See Asa Gray in i variation under domesticationCharacter Web
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Relationship types
- Friendship
- Other
Character groups
- Broad intellectual network
- Protagonist
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Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage marks the story's dramatic climax because Darwin shifts from a defensive posture against objectio…
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- Charles Darwin
friendship · positive
Asa Gray was a close American friend and early defender of Darwin's theory, engaging in… How this plays out →
Relationship notes
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See Asa Gray in i variation under domesticationIn the story
Asa Gray appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
- Doubtful Species
- Natural Selection; or the Survival of the Fittest
- Illustrations of the Action of Natural Selection, or the Survival of the Fittest
- Divergence of Character
- Distinct Species Present Analogous Variations, So That a Variety of One Species Often Assumes a Character Proper to an Allied Species, or Reverts to Some of the Characters of an Early Progenitor
- On the Absence or Rarity of Transitional Varieties
- Geographical Distribution
- Dispersal During the Glacial Period
Chapter companion notes
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See Asa Gray in i variation under domestication