The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-17


tote 10 hts aid 10 proro that plot, mys-
fcry and suspense make for more DICri.
tyrioHs literature than do psUch Oio1y
and character dr0Uiag and stated that
IN tbs Grorge Ncrcdith made his mis-
take Ttis article prorokcd much dis.
tsSSion. mere Mr. Post presents his
'icrS IN a condensed form aud other
critters contribute their rorying opiuious
~ MELVILLE DAWSON PUST.
The short story is work OF art I;
is not a segment OF human experience.
II Is q finished product OF a certain
sort ~ skilled iaborer, and Il must he
constructed according to established
rules As Aristotle pointed out in his
Ioetlys the structure OF all plots falls
naturally into two dvislons--the COM
pllcation or building up. and the un-
ravellng or dcnouement. ny complica-
ton ne meant, and we mean, all that
extends from the beginning TO the ac-
ton and tho part which MARKS the turn
Ing point OF COOL or bad fortune The
unraveing is that which extends from
the beginning OF the change to the
end
Many poets. the Greeks said. tied the
knot well. but unravclled IT unskilfuliy.
Both arts. however, they Insisted. should
be mastered They advised one to make
sketch or general outline first and
then All IN the details.
II II not too much to say that before
the writer begins his story he ouch;
60 he able 10 make geomctrcal dia-
gram OF II which would show the proper
proportions. Just as an architect is able
10 make n diagram of the house he pro-
poses to build. or the artist is able to
make n drawing OF the picture he pro-
poses TO paint. 1t is fatal to begin be-
fore that ls done.
In order TO be of universal interest
10 the reader the plot of the story. as
the Greeks pointed out. must contain
q surprise. II must bc something TO
Unrayel. II must give the mind prob
lem. II must move from one inciden,
or event to another. the reader being in
tcrestei IN each Of these movements un
~ rho whole conception of the story Is
before him. And as one thing happens
a.ter another in life and we do not
realize the scope of an event as 1t be-
sins to arrive. SO in the construction
OF the story the reader must be led
from one step to another. and these
steps must lie in proper sequence
For the purpose of developing the
situation. after constructing a plot that
i automatically correct in proportion
the author must select characters and
trary thing: he must make 1t Il COM
pele unity, though in life nothing is
complete. Having made the plot, he
may take characters from life IL he
likes. or he may modify THIN: but IL
h. would have the best result he must
take the incidents from lfe--for the
great Greek said:
since the objects of imitation are
men in action and these men must be
either of a higher or q lower type for
moral character mainly answers 10
these divisions, goodness and badness
being the distinguishing marks of moral
diflerences-it follows that We must rep
resent men either AS better than in real
hfc or as worse. or as they are. II is
the same in painting. Poygnotus de-
pcted men as nobler than they are,
rduson AS less noble Dlonysus drew
them true to life
The incidents must he assembled from
lie They must be precisely as they
occur In life. one cannot use any fabu-
lous incident. lie may use fabulous
design, but he must nil 1t in with natural
incident one may build any kind Of
house lac likes. but he must build it of
material that il real He must get his
stone from the field and his wood from
Inc forest
The vital factor in the structure OF
Ilot is 20 make Il complete In itself
Events must speak for themselves. They
must require no outside explanation.
The thing should be piece OF mechan.
is1l 50 perfect that by virtue OF its own
structure 1t folds and unfolds itself, fol-
lowing the law of mechanics.
Now II will be seen that the structure
OF plot Is an extremely difficult piece
Of work and not apt to be successfully
done by any but skilled workmen. For
this reason the Greek said that poet
was primarily maker OF plots and the
short story writer OF to-day--notwith-
standing al pretensions to the contrary
is primarily maker OF plots.
THIS ~ what editors mean when they
say the! are loking for "a story'-"stuff
mat has story In II" for If there Is
10 Story--that is to say. no plot--nO
amount Of skill and workmanship will
hyul However, when the plot is I'm
'saed one has not yet produced short
Tic has now only diagram, a plan
Or specification. He must build this up
Win characters. properly assembled in
'idents, appropriate dialogue and such
description as Is necessary to make
events visible,
u must hc remembered that the story
teller : not relating what has happened
u" ~ relating what may happen, lie is
rot producing life: he Is using life
n" tho purpose If producing art And
a''"r b" assemblies AL his elements from
l'r NJ may undertake something better
man nature produces.
IL constructing his plot one had bet
n tax" the basic incidents from life. as
'I" Greeks I'm their tragedies took them,
rom the experiences of certain great
families II should he remembered, how
ever, thar so far as the story as a work
~ art Is concerned IL is of no intrinsic
inheritance whether the events are true
o.. ihls". The falls. are as good as any II
'hcE can be made TO conform to what the
''ceks called the order of nature--or, as
We should say, If they are convincing.
IL Is mere that the tragic plots OF un-
tFIlli writer's fail, II Is not. in any
sense because tragic things fail to hap
I'h' pui that these persons fail to make
''n happen In necessary or inevitable
way AS they happen in life. And for
l's reason II is better for even the most
'''0's from actual happenings, since
'e' VIII then, Of themselves. give an
Z" = probability.
me story turning on tragic incidents
u affect the mind with greater in
'.en'" + the events In IT seem ia move
n themselves, NTH some sinister de-
-' What old authorities said about
NSs'dN . equali- spplicss'e now.
.~4'u ~ effect Ia best produced when
We events come on us by surprise and
- effect IL heightened when. at the
Fam" tin", thrY follow 40 cause aud eff
'"' Ihs tragic vonrcr will then be
4 IA Il a.