Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-07-12
INFLUENCE or FICTION.
II Does Not Amount to as Much as Son
Would Have Us HeIIeVe.

It Does Not Amount to u Much Some .
Would Have Us Believe.
The time being one In which fiction +
has triumphantly asserted its supremacy 4
over every other form Of literature, II Is (
not strange that 1t has occurred to more +
than one thinker TO inquire how far the I
conventional views OF the influence Of
fiction upon morals and life is the cor
rect one. There are those who hold that
the aim Of narrative Is simply 20 enter
tain. and there are those who hold, on
the other hand, that It's true function is
70 instruct, view in which they find
themselves much supported by the fact
that SO much Of the greatest teaching OF
the world has been done In the guise OF
PARALLELS There Is perhaps third school
who hold some sort Of moderate and
very likely most rational view, but mo-
body ever pays much attention to mod
crate views. so that these do not really
count for much. The age Is one OF which
We hear every day that 1t is exceedingly
materialistic, and 10 this Is not infre-
quently added the charge that even art
has come to be looked at from its utili-
itarian sides, 80 that one expects to find
hhRN AtNtoA A0Alt ~ DO NEt NtAAEkt
OF instruction in the practical details OF
life, To be- logical, novels nowadays
should be simply disguised trcatises
upon some practical phase Of life and
as a matter OF fact such rome OF them are.
Whatever may be t4eory, however In
practice the reading OF fiction does not
put one la frame Of mind to receive
instruction. Wa have mover boon able
I to believe that there Is much good In
the strictly practical realms Of human
affairs. The utilitarian is so far outside
I OF the province of art that art does not
touch IL even whom IL strains after II,
/ but only gets outside OF its own domain
/ without comprising that OF the other
II good is TO be done by fiction it must
BIO done in the realms which belong TO
Its own domain. The reach of the tale
must be toward the Imaginative, the in
tellectual or Che ethical. Even then IL
there be conscious and obvious inten-
ton TO teach IL all goes for little. Fic-
ton must lead by being, not by preach
ing.
But, quite aside from what fiction
might or might not be theoretically, is
the question what IL Is In its influence
As plain, every day matter OF fact, hc-
ton Is usually matter OF amusement.
pure and simple. People read and for
get what they are, what encompasses
them and the things that wear life out
II looked at too long or too closely. In
other words, it may as well be accepted
as fact that fiction il what George Eliot
was fond Of calling ''opium eating;" il
L.. - al
guise the taste Of life and transform
one from a mortal into dispassionato
being so far as realities are concerned,
by absorbing the attention upon un.
realities. or course, II meanw lie fc.
tion is what IL should be, and appeals
To its readers through its proper sphere.
it's influence may be high and good; but
the conscious purpose OF the reader il
only to be amused IL follows that the
fiction which Is Intentionally didactic il
least OF all likely 10 effect its purpose
IL is precisely when they do not know
that they are being preached 10 that
people are most Influenced. Tho ago /,
one OF unbelief and doubt, and 1t is tc
comfort themselves in their restlessnes.
that people SO generally tako To the
reading OF fiction. II the tales they
read ropicture for them the Same world
they are trying to escape, arc they SC
likely TO be elevated and cheered as II
they are shown the ideal and the possible
Theories are all very we'll, but In the
presence OF the great fact that mankind
can only be lod by It's inelinations, not
even its convictions proving in the long
run very powerful tractor, is 1t not wise
to reach them through their prefer.
snces: in other words, to reach them il
the only way in which they can b,
reached effectively?