Novel-Writing as a Science [pp. 274-280]

NO VEL- WRITIVG AS A SCIENCE.
We cannot help fancying-the similarity of the names Sewell
and Howells seems to favor the notion-that in the character of
this minister Mr. Howells himself aspires to enact the part of
Greek chorus to his story. At any rate, it is plain from the
above passage that Mr. Howells regards the profession,of
the novelist as quite missionary; and his minister confirms this
conclusion by several other dogmatisms. In fact, he uses a crisis
of the story to point the moral of his theory, and one of the most
vivid impressions taken from The Rise of Silas Lap/zan is that of
the Rev. Mr. Sewell, with the air of a Boston Chadband, de livering a severe homily to a pair of old people on the part play ed by the novels of the old fashion in creating the love-tangle be tween their children that they have come to consult him about.
It is really very commendable of Mr. Hflowells to take this
high and severe view of his mission in life. And there are many
reasons why it is important that we should watch with interest
how he proceeds when he sets out to teach the world the way
novels ought to be written. There is no use denying it, light lite rature forms an enormous share-perhaps, with the newspapers,.
the entire amount-of the reading done by a large mass of our
people; and it is useless to pretend that such constant dropping
does not wear an impress on the minds and consciences on which,
it falls. The fact may be deplored, but it is a fact nevertheless.
and should be recognized. And since it is ever the aim of the
church to seize the weapons of the enemy and turn them against
himself, there is no reason why light literature should form an exception. The novelist who can handle his art so as at the same
time to delight and to better his readers performs a mighty and agood work. Mr. Howells' minister is almost right in placing his
influence as next to that of the clergyman.
Mr. Howells has never hesitated to roundly express his contempt for the methods of all the novelists that preceded him.
It is not very long ago since he wrote that he and Mr. Henry
James, Jr., were the only novelists who understood their busiLness; all others, even Thackeray and Dickens, were only tinkers
at the art as compared with these accomplished craftsmen. He
goes still further now, and declares in effect that what the others
wrote were not novels at all. "Novels are only just coming in,,'
says one of his characters, meaning the novels of Mr. Howells
and Mr. James.
This is a great deal to undertake; but Mr. Htowells means what
he says. His method of writing novels is certainly revolutionary,
and we have seen that he writes them with the hope of serving
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