The evening times., 1900-06-02
The American Novel.


writer in Book News" discusses the
question whether it is possible for us to
have 4 great American novel He asks
what type Of man shall be selected for the
hero, and who is to be considered the typi-
cal American writer. How, he enquiries
is one novel to combine the civilization of
Georgia and that Of Maine, the characters
Of the Californian. the Pennsylvania. the
New Yorker. and the Michigander? Which
is the true representative? Even the Ian
guage, as he points out. differs in differ
ent sections OF the country. How, then
can there be great American novel?
The trouble with this writer is that he is
mixing his ideas. II he had studied a lit
tie natural history he would know that
genus, species, and variety are three dis
tinct and separate terms, each with its
own meaning. The genus is American;
the State corresponds to the species. and
in different parts of some States exist dis
tinct varieties. For example even in SO
diminutive a State as New Hampshire one
may find numerous French Canadians In
the northern towns. Irish people congre-
gated in the cities, and pure-bred Ameri-
can farmers and fishermen down along the
coast and in the hills Abraham Lincoln.
as the great American. combines some of
the distinctive traits of almost every type
Of the American people as they were in
his day He embodied the central idea of
this Republic.
The American novel. then. may deal
with several American types, combined as
may best suit the judgment of the novel
ist. In most of our great cities one may find
men hailing from very nearly every part
of the land. with romance and adventure
and intrigue enough among them to make
any number of novels. There is no single
type of man. perhaps, whom one can call
more American than any other, though
most of us have distinct and vivid
picture in our minds when the typical cit
izen of this country is spoken Of He is
a composite. it is true, but he has an
individuality Of his own, as close-knit and
unmistakable as that of the Englishman
or the Frenchman- Let us see what it is
The man who will be recognized as our
especial type of human being in this or
any other country will be rather tall,
lean. a little saIlow and gaunt. and a
little awkward; his eyes deep-set and
keen, his nose long, his mouth firm. and
chin rather square. Whether he is cow
boy. college professor, or business man.
he Will be at least slightly unconven-
tional in his language. and will use long
words or short, as it happens to suit his
humor. He will be quite self-possessed
in an emergency, ahS the greater the
crisis the less disturbed he will appear
Disclaiming any set code of honor he will
be touehy on the subject Of respect to
women, tender toward children and demo
cratic in his ways with men. He Will
have strong sense of humor, and a GER
tam respect for religious faith, but none
at all for its forms. This American can
be found anywhere in the Republic. in al
most any kind of Clothes and sometimes
he talks with an accent His physical Pc
culiarities are due to climatic and in
dustrial influences; his political opinions
TO the history of his country; his religious
views to social and Industrial conditions
and to education, but his sense of humor
is indigenous. a special gift OF heaven.
No more definite type than this can be
found AS for the allegation that the
different dialects In this country will inter
fere with the nove:ist's work. what. pray.
is the babel in American assemblies to that
which prevails in the United Kingdom OF
Great Britain and Ireland. where you r.ay
put Gael down in Yorkshire and he will
starve for lack OF an Interpreter? What
is the difference in accent found in Illinois
and Georgia to that existing between the
Irish brogue and the Scotch burr? In the
one small island of Great Britain may be
found people speaking Gaelic, Welsh. Corn
ish. Lancashire. Yorkshire, plain English.
Scotch brogue. and Manx; at least three
or four of these tongues being not merely
3atois but distinct languages. with sep