The New York herald., 1922-05-07

model A character is thus born
into the mind of the creator. First
there is germ, a norm, a faint,
nebulous affair that floats about
much like the disembodied spirits
of a medium. Naturalization is very
gradual. One must wait for the
character to assume shape, to ac-
quire personality. IL it is true, as
stated, that Shakespeare wrote his
Merry Wives" for Queen Elizabeth
in two weeks, then he must have
had somewhere inside of him a ca
pacity for speeding up. 1t is no re-
Election upon Henry James to say
that Shakespeare does it so much
better: the real wonder is that not
only does he do 1t better but so much
quicker and easier. The fact is. how
ever. that true genius is not only
unerring but capable of incredible
bursts of speed: and most of the
great geniuses have been prolific.
III.
Among all the works of fiction be-
ing published. those of us who care
to do so may come to know the con-
scientious projectors, in contrast to
the majority who write. well, let us
say. for money alone. We can tell
that they really care by ihnumerable
signs. Still. is il fair to accuse the
majority of bad work just because
they work for money? Shakespeare
worked for money. Johnston wrote
'Rasselas" TO pay his mothers fune-
raj expenses. Both Mr.. Arnold Ben
nett and Bernard Shaw, and other first
rank writer's, are keen business men.
The fact is, that the word CONNER
cialism has crept into our criticism
of literature owing to our lamentable
habit of loose definition. If we wish
to condemn, no matter whether the
object be a novelist, an artist, an
editor or a lady trying to secure a
divorce. we say they are actuated by
commercialism- We are all CONNER
cial. in the sense that our mainte-
nance is perhaps too likely to be a
matter for continuous anxiety. In
deed. without this incentive. it is
doubtful if half of the worlds mas
terpieces would have been produced
Furthermore. it is not. or may not
be, slipshod workmanship that is the
cause of all those characters being
imprisoned in books. Walter Scott
practically admitted that he was a
slipshod workman. 'I am no gram
marian" he said. The particular
thing in any man that makes him
permanently interesting to other
men. seems to ride over all rules.
We must hasten TO say. however.
that we are attempting no defense of
slipshod work. There is no defense
of it, Most of the big people take
infinite pains; they are work incar-
nate.
Why is it then. that all these char
acters are being created, multiply
ing so ceaselessly in the interminable
pages of books forgotten so shortly
after they are issued. and all to no
purpose? Surely in this world of ours
there are enough dun people. with
out the additional trouble of Great
ing them artificiallyi
".
The reason, although, so far as I
am aware as yet unexplained. ap-
pears to me to be a simple one. Yet
before giving it should like to add
a word about the methods of these
writer's. the ones whose works die
so soon. and who may be termed un-
conscientious projectors. A few Of
them are enormously successful
shall / say commercially? That is.
they make heaps of money. And
even their imitators make money. so
great is the ephemeral demand for
books whose characters cannot live
then to dwell forever in darkness.
Among so many of them. it would
be wrong TO name even one. to sim
gle him out as horrid example. es-
pecially when he himself may not
be to blame. And what are these
people. the makers and attempters
OF best sellers. actually doing? Most