The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-03-30

~ aEALtssa IN HEa FICTION.



D1u1s 1Snsnsns - KSsssss
"reminiscences
-
Ph1lsdc1rk1s Ledger.
cgDo Ilfoss was ~ subject Il Pro-
0oyooeps 1ast tectuse, and under
- - mads strong plea for rsaiIsm
e4ou. md showod how this realism
- - fuI1oet end mcst powerful exro-
l. - pey1ie - 0s@us Kliok
s o1oneoe Dsysesn bsEnn ~ sayfng that
- novu1to11o Axst duty vas not - b en-
lntnG. but - ~ tfue. "The wonder
- sai6s "has e0ns ont III fashion,
- 0eRo are rsmnants Of it In the
- HoGnsd Woodland fhuudes stories.
TT Wdteeso ~ the Hsevsnson sehoot treat
= - 'ppagib1e. but stilI ~ impsobsbis. :
II. y. HeWol1s belongs tbs credit Of
1870 uoaned this country from tasts
- - efudo oonsaf5onalism of earlier hs-
-, bo1A b his own realistic novels and
NJ Gomoottcetson Of The views Of the
oot s1n1igt. Ioistoi. But Howeils falls
oogt q hefns full exponent Of rsaiism.
u 49, ~ too oftsn MAKES the common
- eonnUoupjsce Synonymous. Re
- doolo. With what b common, bat not
- - oooount Always with what h COM
HIT - George Elics rsalisn finds It's
nlfo6e ond most profound application.
oGpuD Hot Was frst aud last = rsaliss.
- 1r1e md Last aim w. truth and hdei-
1bo lnws of reality nhe followed un-
1enlnn1y. insxofabiy. But she has ever
- 0eotro - eievete her readers, and this
Ii - Incompatible with her realism"
11ooengoe Beyensu then showed our de-
Don1oneo % Eneilsh litersture. THE
40k1onte fAn1 stu hold sway over our i'm
Nonattom stnrted In England. ThiA Il IL
1UgUDee1 ~ our very nursery rhymes. We
- ~ 5 eng Of six pence and mot Of sI1
uonop, md ths cat that We know 20 well
uont - Ieadon 70 - the queen, and not
- WaeAlnoton - - the president. One
- ysincipd agencies through which
nollnA ldeas hold their sway over us Il
- 1nGlish novel. James Russell Lowell
eoye enat y y usvsr desirable for one nation
0epond % another for it, intellectual
peo, md eeStainIy the AnGIomaniacism OF
10y = the result Of the spirit which IL
mabod ~ ths Wholesale rsadinx Of Eng
- noveiR" Professor Boysssn dspre-
49, ~ cheap publication Of English
ooeks e this country. and said; .As long
- Iu1l1shess steal Eneiish hooks English
ene1eu Win steal our hearts" He would
- heyo - exoluds the English novel. but
- Weobd have ~ pay for IL. and thus put
y - - equal basis with the native novel.
MnieA would bring about natural selec-
To q which The dttsst would survive.
NeW 10 esleciion was unnatural on &C.
9eune q eha oxceasive cheapness Of the
nrdah novsl. which was due 70 IL being
rs = Significant that George Eliot dr.v
- ofge inspiration from the French posi-
0v1ne sokool of Coute. and liz modified
iurm h Herbert Spencer: that one al her
eoElleee literary efforts wss trnnsiation of
o1xoum 'Isben Jssu;' that shs delved into
eplnom'n Ethics. and wrote philosophIcsl
esaye for ths Wssnxiassev Rrvser. This
~ The worst possihis school for ! novel
- and when shs took to novel writing II
- reen1 - IN experiment. She had
eemeahh18 - say. and she wanted to use
- novM - her mOuth-pisce. The ethi.
e9 purpose wes predominant. The result
~ not number Of dreary siidactic tales.
~ might perhaps expect. but SO great
- ney ssnius that she combined the two
elenents without allowing either 10 suffer.
Sniy y ner styis do Ne find any evidence
g nef philosophical training
- psychologist, 4 soui palnter she /.
without rival While Balsac's newer l. in
Ne EXTERNAL, hers II In the internal. Raj.
80 tnkeo body and invests il with a soul.
0eoree Eliot takes soul and invests Il with
booy. It II the great spiritual cri.es a.,
veioh her plots always hinge. When con.
ee1euce meets conscience. and charar,., !.
eooHonted BY eharaeter--thls forms IN.
groundwork OF her novels. In .pamo,.ss,
Tito Aelema that calls out an The h,.,a.n
tofce In Romola's character. In .uidal..
march' IL Il Cassanhcn that di.,,l.x,o.s ~
49, n...z brooke. The spiritual results ara
49, 49, nel Always the main thing: and In oil
49, -. ne never does violence 10 reality.
ne ethical problem 10 the same in all
80 novels. and II Il always solved with the
Inc resard Tor truth; and the problem is
.st Mans attitude to moral Law a. The
aesermining factor OF his fate. Happiness
e NOS IN escape from duty but in sub
mission TO duty. And even where tbs sab.
mission does not bring happiness, the u,,.
happiness q greater when lis demands are
not Needed, Another Of Georre rl,ot,s
great moral axioms L.: We cannot tssr
esnndsr The iron net Of our past actions.
eacn Hnks with each aud forms our char.
acter. - wa ss~'
Professor Bcyessn then showed how mi.
pfoolem vAs treated In her different novels.
~ "komoia" the heroine makes the mas.
enke Of marrying the unworthy wretch
mo Helena As she begins % iook into
NE eeul her strong. pure womanhooa "a.
voasA she nses. not into pleasure, bat into
tsnunciation. Duty comes 10 her In the
sofm q eavonarcla. who commands her so
return: srake up Thy cross and hear II.
&c not weakly throw II away. Thoush
komola does not gain. hy her adherence =,
duty. ecstAtic bliss. she does gain . 49,.
tu1. gentle resignation that shows ttse,f 4,
beautiful charity. Professor Boyessn tr..s.,
- same ethical motive In 'sIanIel ia
fendA where 6wendolen usslstA makes
~ same mistake in marrying 0ranepurs
though che h animated by lses xovthv
Uotayea ncronda IL her savunav,,a NJ,
- shrinks frcm her and lars down in The
end The same inexoEahse Law. though In
the more polite phrases Of modern sims.
In speaking cf the "Mfli en- the rless !,
which Professor Hoyesen said vas a..
novel 81 George Eliot which had most n.rs
yAtfvs power. he said that the Character al
Maggie Talltver Was ansohsoxrapilsca.
Professor Rcycscn took this opportunity
- saying something about GeaFxs Es.es,.
HE and giving some q bis rsmIaiseenee.
II have porposely avoided 80 Ear susntsss,.
onG anything sbons her life. because 80
Stetas b known. The biography Of Cross il
~ H.