The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-06-02
pvnsosAy, AND cENERAI..
The srfep~e of Fiction.

The Science OF Fiction.
In the April number of the English New
Review three well-known noyellsts contribute
to a kind of symposium on The Science OF
Fiction" The three writers are NJ; fauI
Bourget. Mr.. Walter Besant and Mr.. Thomas
Hardy. They all agree that fiction now de-
serves to be called science; but they are not
so unanimous as 10 whether 1t is science
that can be taught Mr.. Walter Besant pc
gins his letter by speaking with approval Oh
project which is in contemplation by some
American gentlemen of founding school for
fiction. He advocates the fC1n alton OF such
school on the ground that novel writing mas
by this time become profession py whcn
thousands obtain their living, Just as
thousands live by painting and by music.
And Mr.. Besant asks, Why should the
writer of fiction be left entirely to educate
himself in what is as much an art as painting
and music are ? There IL in the art OF hcuon
Technique as much as in the fine arts, but
this technique the novelist IS REQUIRED 10 no
out for himself. But Mr. Besont asserts that
it is uu to possible TO teach 1t. have,
writes MIR. Besant 'of late years read great
many MSS. written by young writers. Most
OF them. of course were things IF no promise
and no value whatever But some were prom
ising and the best and cleverest amor .hese
spoIed-inyariabiy faults which IA Attle
teaching would have enabled the
writer TO avoid faults which no
younp PAINTER would commit, because he
would have learned better before he ventured
TO send in a picture for exhibition" Mr..
/ Resant's idea of q school of fiction seems 10 DE
of one in which these points of workmanship
which young writers neglect or are lgnorant
of could be taught Mr.. Matthew Arnold
somewhere talks of the iOurneyman work OF
( literature" which be asserts to be OF much
4 higher quality n rance than in England and
America owing to certain definite standard
of correctness in style and task which
( the existence OF French academy
/ secured II is possibly the teaching OF
/ this 'jourueymsn work OF periodical
writing that is The am OF some schools OF
journalism which We understand O. be ia e1-
istence IL Is also perhaps. the jOurnoyiuen
work Of fiction taat Ar. Besant wcu.c like 70
see taught in the hOOl OF fiction OF winch be
approves lie would probably agree with NF.
/ Thomas Hardy tina, the great essentials Of h.
| art of fiction are not to be acqu red IN formal
| school, that IN the vital elements OF his craft
! the novelist Is born. not made. At the same
/ time there is much 10 b. said, now that fiction
writing is adopted rs profession by large
number. for Mr. Besant's plea that some pro-
vision should be made for teaching the neceS-
/ sary details II workmanship. NJ. Pom
( Bourget d.scoursos well on the art Of
nOveLwritpg but has not much of practical
value 10 say about 1t as a science. He begins
! by Al interesting bit of personal c1nfess.on
/ which maaes against the idea of tbeOTZing
about fiction on scientific lines. Il had once.
4 he writes "a theory complete II all IT'S parts
upon the subject of romantic literature. Now
/ | have merely tastes and hypuihese
/ know well enough what / like in works Of
/ fiction. but ] also know that | care nothing
! for many Of those works which 0stheticely
are superior to others on when dote. When
/ we have reached tbs point. It is awkward u
dogmatize seriously" N. Gourmet evidently
| thinks. if he is 10 follow his own experience,
that the art Of fiction deiies scientific
analysis MI. Hardys conception OF the
term science" is apparently different from
that of Mr. Besant. Mv. Hardy begins by de
tnlng art as science with an additon." on
! the ground that some science underies all art.
! When however, in the next sentence he pro-
ceeds 10 describe the Science OF fiction" as
meaning that comprehensive and accurate
! knowledge of realities which must be sought
for, OF intuitively possessed, to some extent,
before anything deserving the name of an
artistic performance III narrative can be pro-
duced, he lays himself open TO q charge of in
consistency. For, 1t may be asked is not
the comprehensive aud accurate know
ledge of realities" precisely that
addition to the science OF fiction
which elevates it into an art, and not that
part of the art which can be called a science?
If there is a science Of fiction at all. il must
| be- by the necessary meaning of the word
science something which we can know and
define. Whether there is anything in fiction
that can be known and defined in absolute
terms beyond what Mr.. Besant calls its tech
nique is a question not easy of answer. Most
people however, will be ready TO agree with
the conclusion of Mr.. Thomas Hardy's letter.
Once in crowd listener heard a needy
and ii,iterate woman saying of another
poor and haggard woman who had lost her
little son years before: You could see the
ghost OF that child in her face even now.
That speaker was one who. though she could
probably neither read nor write had the true
means towards the science of fiction innate
within her power of observation informed
by living heart. Had she been trained in
the technicalites she might have fashioned
her view of mortality with good effect; a re-
Election which leads to a conjecture that, per-
haps. true noveiists, like poets, are born. not
made. The Interior