The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-05-25
in THE LITERARY FIELD
TIE '.ssENT h-IERgCAN NOVEL"
MAJ YET BIZ WElTTI...
The Preseat-D1y short story of High
QUALIFY Noted Publisher-Gos-
sip Of Men and Books.

can scarcely say That ever expected to
live long enough 20 set down my observa-
tiOns upon the great American novel;"
but the hour seems 10 have strck. and the
observations follow. writes Henry B. Full
Ter. in the Chicago Evening Post.
The theme is rather frayed around the
edges, true. and more or less out al the
elbows: but. after all. there is a time-hon-
ored dignity about il that is not wholly
lacking in charm.
Ny own immediate personal interest in
the great American novel, is very slight
have never tried 10 write it. and never
intend TO try to write it, But I feel in
clined to resent and 10 correct "a misappre-
hension OF the whole matter when IT comes
from high quarter where better counsel
should prevail
The directing head Of one Of the great
Eastern publishing houses said recently
that he did not believe the great American
novel would ever be written A literary
organ OF some prominence. in the same
quarter approves his views. and adds some
reinforcing reasons Of its own.
American life is too complex and varied
what would be representative of life in one
part Of our country would be untrue of an
other part-that sort of thing.
The real trouble with American life. from
the novelist's point of view, is that il is not
complex and varied enough From the old
world standpoint, the organism of Amer
lean life Is as simple as that of polyp; it
possesses an extraordinary homogeneity of
ideas and ideals; manner and usages are
widely regularized-or are rapidly becom-
Ing so; ideas run through the body polite
and the body social with the rapidity of
quicksilver.
IT.
the country is so vast that no one part Of
II can be made representative Of the whole
In these days, however. size is not 10 be
measured by space, but by timely the
rate at which sensations travel along the
national nerves. From this point of view
America is hardly larger than Switzerland
America is a smaller country than England
In the days of Fielding or Spain in the days
of Cervantes.
1 resent. too. the deeper implications that
the great novel is TO be local, even paro-
'hial; that ii is to deal necessarily with
contemporaneOus matters, and that its
value IS TO depend largely. even exclusively,
upon fidelity" to the observed fact Not
one OF Shakspeare's major tragedies-the
great novels of the time-dealt with mat
ter that was ctrcumscribed by the spirit of
locallSmt or matter that was necessarily
contempOraneOus. or matter that derived
Its point and value from accord with mere
TACT. These great works range the CEN
turtles, they ransack the world: vet what
are they if not English. and Elizabethan
English at that2 Even their authors own
ture may-as regards its larger bearings
be pushed aside. The great desideratum
IS not fidelity TO ones facts, but allegiance
10 ones ideals.
Nothing is TO be gained by subdividing
the great national field into multitude of
infinitesimal squares. Inspiration is not to
come from the bit of soil beneath US but
rom the wide stretch Of air around and
aDove us. The great American novel,
viii not result from the cO-Opera ton of
lungs, however mutitudinOus, so long as
they merely work in short pants" all
that Is needed is one big pair under the in
uuence or a Tree and unified racial aftiatus.
In other words. the first step toward the
production of "A great novel is the produc-
ton or great man.
The dignity and Importance and signif-
canoe OF literary production depends
neither upon the vastness of the field nor
upon the multiplicity of facts that il pre-
sents but upon the bigness of the nature
who takes the field and subdues it to his
purpose with eye and hand and spirit
America is not producing great men. but
only great specialists. OF course. We be-
Geve our conspicuous captains of indus
fry to be great men; yet. as a matter of
fact. they are merely great cOnveniences.
The great man Is not necessarily he who.
favored by passing conditions imposes his
will most successfully and proftably
the mass OF his fellows; the great man is
rather he who presents the brOadest and
most harmonious combination of great
qualities We should recognize no less the
man who is than the man who does.
The great American novel" will be writ
ten in due course by the man who is; what
nish US, as do the great financial and in
dustrial magnates of the day, with the
mere appliances for living. but he will
communicate to US the breath of life itself.
First of all, however he himself must be
nourished and sustained. The national soil
IS still the reverse of rich and the national
air eager though ii be- remains a trihe
thin. 1t yields an immense exhilaration.
but no great degree OF sustenance. We
stand at a high altitude of hope and ambi-
ton and the national breath comes in
short pants still. With the years our IA
tiOnal ideals will alter; the rough hurried,
preoccupied work of the foundation period
will have passed. We shall regain control
OF our respiratory organs, and the Nation IS
edifce will rise. with no diminutiOn of
proud preoccupation, but with rather less
of hustle and clatter. Then, perhaps, the
great man, master of quiet and nourished
by peoples enriched ideals, will appear.
But that he Will at once be recognized
and acclaimed need not be taken for grant
ed Time and place may unfortunately not
adhere" Lady Macbeth phrases II.
Appreciation may totally fail and his place
in the hierarchy OF letters may be deter
mined bv a later age and by alien peO-
pie Art is lOng-SO long that distant per-
spective is often required. Art is also
wide-thOugh that fact Is not so frequently
mentioned: and a side view, taken by
people not too closely concerned. has its
value and often its need as we'll
The great man, when he comes, will be
monOlith-nO monument built up. Ike that
at Washington. out Of various small blocks
contributed from various quarters. The
simple organism Of a modern democratic
society and the more than Geographic
CELEBRITY with which impulses of thought
and feeling can be conveyed through il,
will offer a unified medium by virtue of
which he may speak for the whole as read
flv and as representatively as for any OF its
Darts That he will be heard and needed
and acclaimed for what he is-well, that
of course is quite another matter.
The difficulty Of standing In mountain
valley and correctly assigning the relative
heights 10 surrounding peaks is a common
place Some cheap. Crumbling little hill
NAV sit perkiiy aIoft and send an edition OF
a hundred thousand noisy pebbles rafting
down while a great mountain. almost out
of sight behind il. may be patiently, neg
iectedE waiting in manuscript. However
a geodetic survey. or even a mere shifting
OF ones standpoint, may bring the real
truth more clearly into view If haply the
mountain already exists let us hope that il
NAV be discovered before long and receive
its due.