Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1902-10-22

generally described the great master Of the lit
erary "SchOOl Of realism" ean
The question which all this naturally raises is,
what ls realism and what is the realistici We had
supposed that q realistic work Of art true and
vital description Of human life and conduct. The
way In which the words are being currently en-
pOyed however, indicates that true realism is put
ting IN book or on the stage story or play which
represents human nature and the lives Of men and
women as wholly base, abandoned and prOfigate.
For these sO-called realists" do not truly repre-.
sent anything zola did not describe men and
women rs any other man ever saw them. Balzac,
for the purpose Of his "Human Comedy" studied
the lives OF human beings Of every class and Of
every degree Of reCtitude and depraVity. ZOla,
oOntTariWise depicted only the vile the sOrdid and
the wicked. The fair inference is that these we're
the only kind Of people he was able to 6nd in his
narrow world. A strange and terUible earth he
must have lived upOn-One, fortunately, to which
less gifted mOrtals are not condemned.
The fact is that realism" Of this sort Is "a far
from true realism rs are the impossible periOrman.
ces OF Anthony Hopes carpet knights and Winston
IOhurch1lPs swashbucklerS, or the absurdities and
inanities- perhaps insanities is the hetter word
Of Marie COreli. Honest realism is not to he found
IN che works either Of those who depict men and
women as wholly grOveing or prohigate or Of those
who picture them as inc0nceiVably generous, good
or gallant. There isn't one OF as who hasn't lot
OF the old Adam in him. There is none Of hs so
The truly good and worthy man has become such
only after lifelong struggletO down the evil in
him. The exceedingly wicked one has become such
only after hard and prolonged fight in which his
evil nature has acquired the mastery of his good
nature. Between these two extremes are the great
huctuat1ng mass Of mankind who have allowed
themselves to drift as circumstances pushed them
They owe much OF the good or evil that is In them
to heredity and environment, and little TO their
own attempts at self Improvement, but thanks to
the benehcient, order Of Nature, their characters
have gradually been revOluhOnized until now the
benefcient predOminates over the maleicient in
vast majority.
Neither author, painter actor can Justly de-
fend on the plea Of realism q representation of
human nature which makes it wholly bad. A play
OF novel which has not its shadows as we'll as its
lights-Which pOFtrays life as one prolonged. May
morning in which men and women have nothing to
DO bat bask in the sunlight and gather bOquets to
throw at each OtheT-is untrue, and has the same
injurious consequences as any other ialsehOOd. But
one which represents ell men as Mr.. Hydes, and all
women as Of shady eharacter-Whch goes TO the
gutter Or the barrOOm for it's heroes and to the
assignatiOn house for its herOines-is a libel on
human nature which pOllutes che fancy and blunts
the moral sensibilities Of all who read or see &C.
Perhaps one day more really great 'realists''
will arise. Samuel Richardson may come for
ward in fiction OF Shakespeare ia the drama to
again paint life and human nature for us as they
are. Meantime, presumably, we shall have to con.
time to endure the ridiculous pictures which are
presented for edifeation by sOcalled 'dealists
and nasty caricatures drawn by the sO.called real
lists"