The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-20
Thackerny and Dickens.

When Thackeray and Dickens were
alive and at work. there were endless dis
cussions of their comparative merits; and
were fond of the work of the one did not
care much for the other The two were of
types so directly opposite that this differ
ence of opinion was inevitable; but per-
haps few of the adherents of either side
understood just why each novelist had
his hold on the public. and in what direc-
tion his influence was. II may be posi-
BILE. at this later day, to arrive at more
| definite conclusion.
No one could predict. seventy-five years
ago, the course which English and Amer
lean literature would take during the
nineteenth century or what would he the
two great schools of influence. 1t was
thus impossible to foresee that as Dick
ems might be called the first of the great
purpose novelists. so Thackeray might be
called In some sense the first of the real
lists. These two schools of fiction have
dominated practically all that has been
written since. with the exception of the
romantic novels, which are apostOlically
descended from; Scott, and belong to
neither class.
1t was Dickens way to subordinate his
plot and his characters. when necessary.
to the lesson which he wished to teach:
and this is the distinguishing mark Of the
purpose novelist. Such a writer may be
realist-in fact every writer of fiction
must have some realism about him-but
his plots are rarely strong. and his char
| acter-drawing Is apt to be better in his
minor characters than in his heroes and
hereines. The reason of this is that the
| purpose wealtens the novel artisticaIly
| It must. TO a certain extent, play to the
gallery. II must depend for its effect not
so IIEch on its intrinsic excellence as on
the emotions which it can awaken in its
readers; and these are transient. Kings
ley's 'Hypatia," which was not purpose
novel, has oUtlived Yeast which was
Dickens work will live. not because of its
purpose, but because OF the innumerable
fascinating characters. mostly minor
| characters. whom he introduced, and be-
cause of the sunny. wholesome, i'm
petuous spirit Of the man, which breathes
| in every line he wrote. The great novel
list is great through the force Of his char
acter; such eminence as comes to him
through the accident of having appealed
successfully to some phase of popular
feeling will not last.
Thackeray, on the contrary, never in
any case subordinated realism to a pur-
pose. He considered it his business to
describe things they were; and if he
treated a problem. 1t was one Of the ever
LASTING problems Of human nature, which
are inherent In all relations of mankind.
lie touches on the curious puzzle of
clever, interruptions womans power over
those who do not respect her on the eter-
nal tragedy OF mismated lives, on the
pathetic contrast between the world
which surrounds noble and innocent souls.
and their idea of it. All these things he
pictures with the answering purpose to
show them as they are. not as any re-
former. cynic OF optimist thinks they
ought to ben II seems his aim to hold
himself clear of prejudice even free of
strong feeling. to the end that he may
arrive at truth. He is never absolutely
sure what the truth is; the realist is al
ways learner. Dickens. on the contrary,
finds little mystery in life; he has too
many convictions and they are too
strong. He finds SO much TO do that he
has no time for speculation. Thackeray
takes his speculation first, and finds that
there is not really much that is worth
doing: at any rate not worth fretting
over. His tacit theory of life is that
every man must do his own work In the
place where he chances 10 be put. must
see that work as clearly as he can. and
trust the laws of the universe for the
rest His reasoning on this subject is
so unconscious as never to be formulated
He observes; he never breaches Dickens
Is always. somehow other, the dicta-
tor; unhesitatingly praising or condemn
ing, seeing no half-truths, and no halfway
characters out OF these two theories
OF fiction. more or less completely and