The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-06-05
The Novel rs Teacher and Keformer.

Never perhaps at any former period was the
novel 30 much III vogue. Never were novels
produced IN such abundance, so much read or
90 much criticised. Its safe also TO add that
never WAS there such variety In nctlOn.
Largely because Of this variety the question
has acquired prominence, What Is the best
kind OF novel, or, rather, what constitutes
really good novel? Another question has been
raised, What is the proper province OF the
novel; What should it be- What should
IL dor
1t is unnecessary to say that the answers
are as numerous and diversified as are the
questions and that while the critics dliier, The
authors, male and female, 20 ON manulac-
turing according 10 the demands OF the
market, and according 10 their special ability,
COPYING or creating as best suits them and as
they best can. In favor of the different stand
ards much might be said. Naturallsm, realism,
ide..lism, romantic ism-all have their place III
Hrst-class work. The mistake IL when any
one OF them is unduly magnlted or allowed
unduy TO preponderate. There are those VINO
hold that the main business of the novel Is 10
entertain, to give pleasing mental occupation.
There are others who cling 10 the conviction
that the main business OF the novel Is TO teach.
There are others who hold that novel Is not
only wanting IN high purpose. but wanting III
real worth, If the teaching element ~ absent;
but that 10 make the teaching element enec-
tive ii must be entertaining, and must have
all the other qualities needed 10 arrest ana
hold attention.
This, in the judgment OF many minds, IN
dicates the true province OF the novel. Not,
~ "A rule, of the novel as 1t has been, bat Of
the novel as il should be. There Is a strong
belief that the writer of novel should have
"A purpose, and that ability and honest, earnest
effort being gTasted, the novel is likely 10 be
good OF bad, healthtul or unhealthiul moral
t,..tnaral alaNafiuU "A 1phasipU a
tive, according to the purpose. 1t is not ne
cessary that the teaching element should
always be seen on the surface. In the greatel
number Of his novels Sir Walter Scott wrote
for the purpose Of reproducing IN attractive
form the characteristic features OF an age
which had passed away. But his novels were
in a true and high sense eleyatlng and educa-
i've and their eleyating and educatlye ln1u-
once were heightened by the charms OF r0-
nance. The natural, the real, the ideal may
all be used and turned 10 good account, Just
as Sir W alter used and turned 10 good account
the romantic.
In an extremely interesting essay in the
May number OF the Westminster Review,
Frederick Dolman makes special mention OF
Victor Hugo, of Charles kingsley, OF W alter
Besant and OF George Gissing the author Of
'Demos" and the 'NeIuer World" holding
that in the hands Of each of these the novel
has been successfully turned 10 account In the
direction OF education and social reform. He
might easily have enlarged his list and in
cluded among others, Charles Dickens,
Charles keade, Mrs. Craik, George Eliot,
Harriet Beechef Stowe, and last but probably
not least, Mrs. Humphrey W ard. Victor Hugo,
In LES MiseraDies,' puts into dramatic form
the cry of the disinherlted. and giving new
ness OF life to the pr0ietariat, compelled the
attention OF the social reiOrmer. Kingsley,
IN ''Ait0n Locke" puts in concrete form what
Carlyle WAS Nentiiating in ''Chartism" and
"Past and Present. compelling the attention
OF the upper classes 20 the sweaters dens and
% the miseries Of the agricultural laborers
and bringing about importent reforms which
he himself, before his death, was willing to
acknowledge. Walter Besant in "All Sorts
aud Conditions OF Men," brought about that
strange, that marvellous reform which is en-
bodied Ia the East of London, in the Peoples
Palace" In Uncle Toms Cabin" Mrs.
Stowe accomplished more for the abolition OF
slavery than her eloquent brother anu Wendell
Phillips and Lloyd Garrison and the whole
host OF agitators combined. Mrs. Craik, in
John Halifax" and George Eliot, in adam
Bede," both taught the grandeur of true man.
hood apart from birth and training; and what
Charles Dickens and Charles Reads accom-.