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

Mr. Melville Davisson Post. in what
seems to me a curious and ingenious
article, demonstrates to his satisfaction
that the purpose OF fiction is to enter
tain and that IL should entertain by
devices OF mystery and surprise in the
plot. lie leaves out in the cold all read
ers whom those devices do rot enter
tam, and also suggests TO his own in
tcrested reader several questions
Mr. Post makes this statement: The
primary OBJECT or all fiction is to enter
tain the reader" We may omit consid.
GRAFTON or the story of the Prodigal Son
ana the story e the Good Samaritan,
which are generally understood to have
been created for objects primarily
other than entertainment instead. we
may quote from Macaulay and the Cen
fury Dictionary: He [Bunyanl saw
that in employing fiction TO make truth
clear and goodness attractive lac was
,HlN followirg the example which every
christian ought to propose TO himself
'Mr. Post says that the primary OBJ
ject OF all fiction is to entertain the
reader.)
Must fiction stand so humbly below
the FINE Arts. down among the acrobats
ard the vaudeville Muses. For surely
Mr.. Post would not maintain that the
primary object of Velasquez was to en-
terrain the beholder or would we sus-
peet Mr. Post of sitting long to hear
music composed with the primary object
OF entertaining the listener.
Mr.. Post says: IF while IL ffictionl en-
tcrtains. IL also cnnobies him [the read
err this fiction becomes a work of art"
Mr.. Post does not say how profoundly
the reader must be ennobled or how long
his attack OF ennoblcment must last BE-
hp Ifs,s.
or art. But this is one Of the most
generous things ever written. and IL con-
,r'entlouSlN applied II produces works
OF art FOR Miss Laura Jean Lihbey al
most as freely as IT does for lola.
Mr. Post says later: 1T has also
Happened that the mystery or pro blem
story has been the vehicle
usually chosen by the most unskllful'
lie says happened" That word may
Ice quite frank but IL does not seem so.
isn't there. probably. a reason why the
most unskiful" writer's have usually
chosen the mystery or problem story:
II II because that is the kind of story
the most unskilful' like best? Is IL
possible that II is the kind OF story
usually chosen by the most unskilfuI
leader also? And can il be that tho
mystery or problem story is the kind
or story easiest 10 write. requiring the
least skill?
Mr. Post says that the Greeks
pointed out that work OF art In litera-
ture could not be merely a representa-
ton OF life; but We are permitted to
question his evident Interpretation Of
their meaning. He appears to take Il
That they were objectins TO what we
call realism" whereas in the pas
sage he quotes II is carefully expla ined
that history should not he narrated In
verse. This meant that poetry should
not consist OF statistics--as some OF Ho-
incr's did, though the statistics were
legendary.
Mr.. Post goes on with n bit OF loose
thinking from Aristotle. thus: Char
actcr determines mems qualities. but
II is by their actions that they are
happy or the reverse" This is to say
'as part Of demonstration OF the
precedence Of plot over "character'D
that the actions of a man do not de-
pend upon his character. and thRt con-
Sequcntly lie IL happy Or unhappy, not
according to his disposition. but only
as a consequence of acts OF his which
nave not resulted from his character.
Really Aristotle didn't quite mean this
folly he Mas only complaining OF some
incpt playwrights. who IN the struggle
for cha racter were making their parts
TOO talky' instead Of expressing char
acter at times by action. In his irri-
tatiou he went so far as to say that a
tragedy can he made without char
acter; and so 1t cantor a manager.
"Novices in the art" Aristotle added.
TO strengthen Mr.. Posts point. at
tain finish OF dict'on ana precision
Of poytraiture before they can con-
struct the plot" How things have
changed since then And Mr. Post
says: Nothing could have 20 astonished
the literary men of that age as this
idea Of our own that the highest form
Of literary structure may he
merely fragment Of life or the de-
lincation Of character" Almost gen.
Grafton has passed since II was clearly
pointed out that II was about time for
Aristotle to he astonished.
Mystery aud surprise In the plot
that is, a problem to he unraveled in .
way that surprises--this Is the "quai.
ity," Mr.. Post declares. which causes .
reader To- follow a story through to the
end and an auditor to sit through play
"Hucklebcrry Finn" not only the first
but the eighth time on account Of the
mystery and surprise of the plot? And
after SEEING Edwin Booth IN Hamlet
Wc sat through and were moved by
Henry Irving and Mounct Sully in that
same plaS held and moved by the mys-
terry and surprise In the plot? Wasn't
IL wonderful how long tho plot OF rip
Van Wrinkle" kept Joseph Jefferson 70.
ing And when he departed from every
stage and ceased to play RIP Van
Winklc,' the plot with It's problem to