The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-11-05
BOOKS KILLED
IN
Vain Object Of Courses in English
Literature TO Make More inteiii-
gent Readers.

ave read the cdplei report cot-
crru!ng the sharp criticism OF MOD
arn methods Of instruction IN EnSIlsn
literature which Sir Gilbert Parker
recently made in his address before
the Imperial Conference OF Teachers
Associations in England. If | may
i,dge Of its general drift by the para
graph quoted from The Manchester
Guardian, | guess that Sir Gilbert
is on the right side, although his re-
marks may have been unduly sad II
severe.
English literature, as q regular
hranch Of college and university
study, is comparatively modern. 1t
came generally into our American un-
iNtrsittcs about the middle of the
nineteenth century, and into the Eng
fish universities considerably later
There arc strict and solemn persons
still living Who regard it as an lntru-
der; a light and loose study, not al
together worthy OF a place beside
Latin, and mathematics, and physics,
and logic, and history; in fact, pleas
ant recreation (what the boys would
cali o soft snap") in the midst OF q
course Of serious instruction.
Perhaps 1t was by way OF protest
against this IDEA that many Of tho
professors in the English departments
began to systematic and standardize
forgive the hideous Word-their
WI ~ oIiAl liz L NShk "a VI -
Authors were classified as if they were
geological specimens. Books were
studied as il they were chemical COM
pounds. Masterpieces OF vital litera-
ture were sWathed and smothered IN
yoluminouS a~nnOtations, like mum
mics in the museum.
This was the method which was be-
ginning when ! was a student in col
lcge; and it made the study Of English
50 dry and dusty that l was impelied
70 contribute to n Of h college
periodicals. a pathetic and violent pro-
test, which brought me into disfavor.
md nearly into trouble with the
faculty.
| suppose that this method Of con-
Quoting the study Of English literal
ture Is still in vogue in many places.
In fact. l know hat in some quarters
II has been carried TO the last ex-
tremity. I was in the room Of a
student In a Western university not
long ago., and ne told me that he was
studying the style OF Robert Louis
Stevenson. When ! asked him how
he was investigating that vivacious
writer, the student replied that his
teacher had set him to count the
number Of words OF Anglo-Saxon n
If Latin origin in fifty pages Of a vol
une entitled THE. Wrong Box" Now,
apart from the general futility Of
such a procedure in the study Of style,
the wild beauty Of this particular case
lies in the fact that THE Wrong Box
IL y book in which another writer
collaborated with Stevenson, and
therefore 1T cannot possibly be taken
as an illustration Of the masters
style.
t'ut what is this, after all, but an
instance OF academic zeal misdirect-
ed! 1t does not really represent.
am sure, the urpOS and effort of
that large body Of teachers who are
row trying to max the study OF Eng
iish literature more vital, more inter-
csting. more fruitful than it used &c
be in the days when Sir Gilbert and
J were In college. / admit that his
criticism and his warning may still be
needed and salutary. There Is always
danger that a great book written In 6
living language may be killed, ORA,
least paralyzed. when 1t comes into
the classroom. There is always dan
ger that a course ia literature ma,
degenerate into a mere catalogue O.
names and dates and published works
with a padding Of assorted fragment!
Of indigestible criticism. There is al
ways danger that English may b.
taught as if it We're a dead language
and its authors studied as if the
We're ~algebraic problems. But If 81
Gilbert thinks that the teachers o
English who are really alive toda,
are not awake to these dangers an
doing their best to guard agains
them. he is mistaken. He does no
know how many there are alread
on the side which he has eloquent!
~eSDouSed.
We are advancing, I hope, into tn
ifiShtness of u new day in the use +,
1nslish literature as q factor in a Iii
erul eductaton. | speak not for nay
SELF alone, but as a simple v%oluntce
and fellowworkman in a field wher
there are many laborers Of more eA
perience and skill.
We wish TO take our pupils with /
into the royal treasure house OF buoI
written in our mother tongue an
make them feel that it is a rich pol
ton Of the intellectual heritage {
mankind. We wish to help them
know and understand and enjoy the:
books, not merely as works Of ar
but rs reflections of human life ar
0ounSeiS for human Conduct. "
wish TO take the DEVELOPMENT of lite