The Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals by Charles Darwin (adult books to read TXT) 📕

According to this view, when we commence any great exertion, we close our mouths and stop breathing, in order to retard the circulation of the blood. Gratiolet sums up the subject by saying, “C’est la la vraie theorie de l’effort continu;”

but how far this theory is admitted by other physiologists I do not know.

[13] `Anatomy of Expression.’ p. 190.

[14] `De la Physionomie,’ pp. 118-121.

Dr. Piderit accounts[15] for the firm closure of the mouth during strong muscular exertion, on the principle that the influence of the will spreads to other muscles besides those necessarily brought into action in making any particular exertion; and it is natural that the muscles of respiration and of the mouth, from being so habitually used, should be especially liable to be thus acted on.

It appears to me that there probably is some truth in this view, for we are apt to press the teeth hard together during violent exertion, and this is not requisite to prevent expiration, whilst the muscles of the chest are strongly contracted.

Lastly, when a man has to perform some delicate and difficult operation, not requiring the exertion of any strength, he nevertheless generally closes his mouth and ceases for a time to breathe; but he acts thus in order that the movements of his chest may not disturb, those of his arms.

A person, for instance, whilst threading a needle, may be seen to compress his lips and either to stop breathing, or to breathe as quietly as possible.

So it was, as formerly stated, with a young and sick chimpanzee, whilst it amused itself by killing flies with its knuckles, as they buzzed about on the window-panes. To perform an action, however trifling, if difficult, implies some amount of previous determination.

[15] `Mimik und Physiognomik,’ s. 79.

There appears nothing improbable in all the above assigned causes having come into play in different degrees, either conjointly or separately, on various occasions.

The result would be a well-established habit, now perhaps inherited, of firmly closing the mouth at the commencement of and during any violent and prolonged exertion, or any delicate operation.

Through the principle of association there would also be a strong tendency towards this same habit, as soon as the mind had resolved on any particular action or line of conduct, even before there was any bodily exertion, or if none were requisite.

The habitual and firm closure of the mouth would thus come to show decision of character; and decision readily passes into obstinacy. CHAPTER X.

HATRED AND ANGER.

Hatred—Rage, effects of on the system—Uncovering of the teeth—

Rage in the insane—Anger and indignation—As expressed by the various races of man—Sneering and defiance—The uncovering of the canine tooth on one side of the face.

IF we have suffered or expect to suffer some wilful injury from a man, or if he is in any way offensive to us, we dislike him; and dislike easily rises into hatred. Such feelings, if experienced in a moderate degree, are not clearly expressed by any movement of the body or features, excepting perhaps by a certain gravity of behaviour, or by some ill-temper.

Few individuals, however, can long reflect about a hated person, without feeling and exhibiting signs of indignation or rage.

But if the offending person be quite insignificant, we experience merely disdain or contempt. If, on the other hand, he is all-powerful, then hatred passes into terror, as when a slave thinks about a cruel master, or a savage about a bloodthirsty malignant deity.[1] Most of our emotions are so closely connected with their expression, that they hardly exist if the body remains passive—the nature of the expression depending in chief part on the nature of the actions which have been habitually performed under this particular state of the mind.

A man, for instance, may know that his life is in the extremest peril, and may strongly desire to save if; yet, as Louis XVI.

said, when surrounded by a fierce mob, “Am I afraid? feel my pulse.”

So a man may intensely hate another, but until his bodily frame is affected, he cannot be said to be enraged.

[1] See some remarks to this effect by Mr. Bain, `The Emotions and the Will,’

2nd edit. 1865, p. 127.

Rage.—I have already had occasion to treat of this emotion in the third chapter, when discussing the direct influence of the excited sensorium on the body, in combination with the effects of habitually associated actions. Rage exhibits itself in the most diversified manner.

The heart and circulation are always affected; the face reddens or becomes purple, with the veins on the forehead and neck distended.

The reddening of the skin has been observed with the copper-coloured Indians of South America,[2] and even, as it is said, on the white cicatrices left by old wounds on negroes.[3] Monkeys also redden from passion. With one of my own infants, under four months old, I repeatedly observed that the first symptom of an approaching passion was the rushing of the blood into his bare scalp. On the other hand, the action of the heart is sometimes so much impeded by great rage, that the countenance becomes pallid or livid,[4] and not a few men with heart-disease have dropped down dead under this powerful emotion.

[2] Rengger, Naturgesch. der Saugethiere von Paraguay, 1830, s. 3.

[3] Sir C. Bell, `Anatomy of Expression,’ p. 96. On the other hand, Dr. Burgess (`Physiology of Blushing,’ 1839, p. 31) speaks of the reddening of a cicatrix in a negress as of the nature of a blush.

[4] Moreau and Gratiolet have discussed the colour of the face under the influence of intense passion: see the edit.

of 1820 of Lavater, vol. iv. pp. 282 and 300; and Gratiolet, `De la Physionomie,’ p. 345.

The respiration is likewise affected; the chest heaves, and the dilated nostrils quiver.[5] As Tennyson writes, “sharp breaths of anger puffed her fairy nostrils out.”

Hence we have such expressions as breathing out vengeance,”

and “fuming with anger.”[6]

The excited brain gives strength to the muscles, and at the same time energy to the will. The body is commonly held erect ready for instant action, but sometimes it is bent forward towards the offending person, with the limbs more or less rigid.

The mouth is generally closed with firmness, showing fixed determination, and the teeth are clenched or ground together.

Such gestures as the raising of the arms, with the fists clenched, as if to strike the offender, are common. Few men in a great passion, and telling some one to begone, can resist acting as if they intended to strike or push the man violently away.

The desire, indeed, to strike often becomes so intolerably strong, that inanimate objects are struck or dashed to the ground; but the gestures frequently become altogether purposeless or frantic.

Young children, when in a violent rage roll on the ground on their backs or bellies, screaming, kicking, scratching, or biting everything within reach. So it is, as I hear from Mr. Scott, with Hindoo children; and, as we have seen, with the young of the anthropomorphous apes.

[6] Sir C. Bell `Anatomy of Expression,’ pp. 91, 107) has fully discussed this subject. Moreau remarks (in the edit. of 1820 of `La Physionomie, par G. Lavater,’ vol. iv. p. 237), and quotes Portal in confirmation, that asthmatic patients acquire permanently expanded nostrils, owing to the habitual contraction of the elevatory muscles of the wings of the nose.

The explanation by Dr. Piderit (`Mimik und Physiognomik,’ s. 82) of the distension of the nostrils, namely, to allow free breathing whilst the mouth is closed and the teeth clenched, does not appear to be nearly so correct as that by Sir C. Bell, who attributes it to the sympathy (_i. e_.

habitual co-action) of all the respiratory muscles. The nostrils of an angry man may be seen to become dilated, although his mouth is open.

[7] Mr. Wedgwood, `On the Origin of Language,’ 1866, p. 76. He also observes that the sound of hard breathing “is represented by the syllables puff, huff, whiff, whence a huff is a fit of ill-temper.”

But the muscular system is often affected in a wholly different way; for trembling is a frequent consequence of extreme rage.

The paralysed lips then refuse to obey the will, “and the voice sticks in the throat;”[7] or it is rendered loud, harsh, and discordant.

If there be much and rapid speaking, the mouth froths.

The hair sometimes bristles; but I shall return to this subject in another chapter, when I treat of the mingled emotions of rage and terror. There is in most cases a strongly-marked frown on the forehead; for this follows from the sense of anything displeasing or difficult, together with concentration of mind.

But sometimes the brow, instead of being much contracted and lowered, remains smooth, with the glaring eyes kept widely open.

The eyes are always bright, or may, as Homer expresses it, glisten with fire. They are sometimes bloodshot, and are said to protrude from their sockets—the result, no doubt, of the head being gorged with blood, as shown by the veins being distended.

According to Gratiolet,” the pupils are always contracted in rage, and I hear from Dr. Crichton Browne that this is the case in the fierce delirium of meningitis; but the movements of the iris under the influence of the different emotions is a very obscure subject.

Shakspeare sums up the chief characteristics of rage as follows:—

“In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man, As modest stillness and humility;

But when the blast of war blows in our ears, Then imitate the action of the tiger:

Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;

Now set the teeth, and stretch the nostril wide, Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit To his full height! On, on, you noblest English.”

Henry V., act iii. sc. 1.

[7] Sir C. Bell `Anatomy of Expression,’ p. 95) has some excellent remarks on the expression of rage.

[8] `De la Physionomie,’ 1865, p. 346.

The lips are sometimes protruded during rage in a manner, the meaning of which I do not understand, unless it depends on our descent from some ape-like animal. Instances have been observed, not only with Europeans, but with the Australians and Hindoos. The lips, however, are much more commonly retracted, the grinning or clenched teeth being thus exposed.

This has been noticed by almost every one who has written on expression.[9]

The appearance is as if the teeth were uncovered, ready for seizing or tearing an enemy, though there may be no intention of acting in this manner.

Mr. Dyson Lacy has seen this grinning expression with the Australians, when quarrelling, and so has Gaika with the Kafirs of South America.

Dickens,[10] in speaking of an atrocious murderer who had just been caught, and was surrounded by a furious mob, describes “the people as jumping up one behind another, snarling with their teeth, and making at him like wild beasts.” Every one who has had much to do with young children must have seen how naturally they take to biting, when in a passion.

It seems as instinctive in them as in young crocodiles, who snap their little jaws as soon as they emerge from the egg.

[9] Sir C. Bell, `Anatomy of Expression,’ p. 177. Gratiolet (De la Phys. p. 369) says, `les dents se decouvrent, et imitent symboliquement l’action de dechirer et de mordre.‘I If, instead of using the vague term symboliquement, Gratiolet had said that the action was a remnant of a habit acquired during primeval times when our semi-human progenitors fought together