A Psychological CounterCurrent in Recent Fiction.docx

A Psychological CounterCurrent in Recent Fiction.docx

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APsychologicalCounterCurrentinRecentFiction

APsychologicalCounter-CurrentinRecentFictionbyWilliamDeanHowellsItisconsolingasoftenasdismayingtofindinwhatseemsacataclysmaltideofacertaindirectionastrongdrifttotheoppositequarter.Itissodivinable,ifnotsoperceptible,thatitspresencemayusuallyberecognizedasabeginningoftheturnineverytidewhichissure,soonerorlater,tocome.Inreform,itisthemenaceofreaction;inreaction,itisthepromiseofreform;wemaytakeheartaswemustloseheartfromit.Afewyearsago,whenamovementwhichcarriedfictiontothehighestplaceinliteraturewasapparentlyofsuchonwardandupwardsweepthattherecouldbenoreturnordescent,therewasacounter-currentinitwhichstayeditatlast,andpulleditbacktothatlamentablelevelwherefictionisnowsunk,andtheword"novel"isagainthesynonymofallthatismorallyfalseandmentallydespicable.Yetthatthis,too,ispartlyapparent,Ithinkcanbeshownfromsomephasesofactualfictionwhichhappentobeitsverylatestphases,andwhichareofasignificanceashopefulasitisinteresting.Quiteassurelyasromanticismlurkedattheheartofrealism,somethingthatwemaycall"psychologism"hasbeenpresentintheromanticismofthelastfourorfiveyears,andhasnowbeguntoevolveitselfinexampleswhichitisthepleasureaswellasthedutyofcriticismtodealwith.

I.

Nooneinhisdayhasdonemoretopopularizetheromanticism,nowdecadent,thanMr.GilbertParker;andhemadewayforitatitsworstjustbecausehewassomuchbetterthanitwasatitsworst,becausehewasapoetofundeniablequality,andbecausehecouldbringtoitsintellectualsqualorthegracesandthepowerswhichcharm,thoughtheycouldnotavailtosaveitfromfinalcontempt.Hesaveshimselfinhislatestnovel,because,thoughstillsolargelyromanticistic,itsprevalenteffectispsychologistic,whichisthefineranalogueofrealistic,andwhichgaverealismwhateverwasvitalinit,asnowitgivesromanticismwhateverwillsurviveit.In"TheRightofWay"Mr.

Parkerisnotinaworldwheremeredeterminismrules,wherethereisnothingbutthehappeningofthings,andwherethisoneorthatoneisimportantorunimportantaccordingasthingsarehappeningtohimornot,buthasinhimselfnoclaimuponthereader'sattention.Oncemorethenovelbeginstorisetoitshigherfunction,andtoteachthatmenaresomehowmastersoftheirfate.HisCharleySteeleis,indeed,asunpromisingmaterialfortheexperiment,incertainways,ascouldwellbechosen.OneofthefewmemorablethingsthatBulwersaid,whosaidsomanyquotablethings,wasthatpureintellectualityisthedevil,andonhisplaneCharleySteelecomesnearbeingpureintellectual.Heapprehendsallthingsfromthemind,anddoestheeffectsevenofgoodnessfromtheprideofmentalstrength.

Addtotheseconditionsofhispersonalitythatpathologicallyheisfromtimetotimeadrunkard,withalwaysthedangerofremainingadrunkard,andyouhaveafigureofwhichsomuchmaybedespairedthatitmightalmostbecalledhopeless.Iconfessthatinthebeginningthisbrilliant,pitilesslawyer,thisconsciencelesslypowerfuladvocate,atoncemockerandposeur,allbutfailedtointerestme.AlittleofhimandhismonoclewentsuchagreatwaywithmethatIthoughtIhadenoughofhimbytheendofthetrial,wherehegetsoffamanchargedwithmurder,andthencruellysnubsthehomicideinhisgratitude;andIdonotquiteknowhowIkeptontothepointwhereSteeleinhisdrunkennessfirstdazzlesandtheninsultsthegangofdrunkenlumbermen,andbeginshissecondlifeintheriverwheretheyhavethrownhim,andwherehisformerclientfindshim.

FromthatpointIcouldnotforsakehimtotheend,thoughI

foundmyselfmorethanonceintheworldwherethingshappenofthemselvesanddonothappenfromthetemperamentsofitsinhabitants.Inabetterandwiserworld,thehomicidewouldnotperhapsbeathandsoopportunelytosavethelifeoftheadvocatewhohadsavedhis;butoneconsentstothis,asoneconsentstoagreatdealbesidesinthestory,whichisimaginablythesurvivalofaformermethod.Theartist'saffairistoreporttheappearance,theeffect;andintherealworld,theappearance,theeffect,isthatoflawandnotofmiracle.

Natureemploysthemiraclesoverysparinglythatmostofusgothroughlifewithoutseeingone,andsomeofuscontractsuchaprejudiceagainstmiraclesthatwhentheyareperformedforuswesuspectatrick.WhenIsufferedfromthissuspicionin"TheRightofWay"IwasthemorevexedbecauseIfeltthatIwasinthehandsofaconnoisseurofcharacterwhohadnoneedofmiracles.

IhavelikedMr.Parker'streatmentofFrench-Canadianlife,asfarasIhaveknownit;andinthisnovelitisoneoftheprincipalpleasuresforme.Hemaynothavehishabitant,hisseigneurorhiscuredowncold,buthemakesmebelievethathehas,andIcanasknomorethanthatofhim.Inlikemanner,hemakestheambient,physicalaswellassocial,sensiblearoundme:

thecoldrivers,thehard,clearskies,thesnowywoodsandfields,thelittlefrozenvillagesofCanada.Inthisbook,whichishistoricalofthepresentratherthanthepast,hegivesonearealizingsenseoftheCanadians,notonlyinthecountrybutinthecity,atleastsofarastheyaffecteachotherpsychologicallyinsociety,andmakesonefeeltheirinterestingtemperamentaldifferencefromAmericans.HisMontrealersarestillEnglishmenintheirstrenuousindividuality;butinthefrankexpressionofcharacter,ofeccentricity,CharleySteeleislikeatypeoflawyerinourWest,ofanepochwhenpeoplewerenotyetcontenttowitnessidealsofthemselves,butwhentheywishedtobetheirpoetryratherthantoreadit.Inhissecondlifehehasthecharmfortheimaginationthatadisembodiedspiritmighthave,ifitcouldbemadeknowntousinthecircumstancesofanotherworld.Hehas,indeed,madealmostascleanabreakwithhispastasifhehadreallybeendrownedintheriver.When,afterthetermofoblivion,inwhichheknowsnothingofhispastself,heisrestoredtohisidentitybyafamoussurgeontooopportunelyoutofParis,onavisittohisbrother,thecure,theproblemishowheshallexpiatetheerrorsofhispast,workouthisredemptioninhisnewlife;andtheauthorsolvesitforhimbyappointinghimtoalifeofunselfishlabor,illuminedbyactionsofpositivebeneficence.ItissomethinglikethesolutionwhichGoetheimaginesforFaust,andperhapsnootherisimaginable.Incontrivingit,Mr.Parkerindulgestheweakerbrethrenwithanabundanceofaccidentandaluxuryofcatastrophe,whichthereaderinterestedinthepsychologyofthestorymaytakeaslittleaccountofashelikes.Withoutsomuchofthemhemighthavemadeasculpturesqueromanceasclearlyandnoblydefiniteas"TheScarletLetter";withthemhehasmadeamostpicturesqueromanticnovel.Hiswork,asIbeganbysaying,orhinting,istheworkofapoet,inconception,andIwishthatinsomedetailsofdictionitwereaselectastheauthor'sverseis.

Butonemustnotexpecteverything;andinwhatitis,"TheRightofWay"satisfiesareasonabledemandonthesideofliterature,whileitmorethanmeetsareasonableexpectationonthesideofpsychologicalinterest.Distinctlyitmarksanepochincontemporarynoveling,andmountsfarabovetheaveragebesttowardthedayofbetterthingswhichIhopeitisnotrashtoimagedawning.

II.

IamsureIdonotmerelyfancytheaurorallightinagroupofstoriesbyanotherpoet."TheRulingPassion,"Dr.HenryVanDykecallshisbook,whichrelatesitselfbyadoubletietoMr.

Parker'snovelthroughkinshipofCanadianlandscapeandcharacter,andthroughtheprevalenceofpsychologismoverdeterminisminit.Inthesituationsandincidentsstudiedwithsentimentthatsavesitselffromsentimentalitysometimeswithgreaterandsometimeswithlessease,butsavesitself,theappealisfromthesoulinthecharactertothesoulinthereader,andnotfrombruteeventtohissensation.IbelievethatIlikebestamongthesecharmingthingsthetwosketches--theyarehardlystories--"AYearofNobility"and"TheKeeperoftheDight,"thoughifIwereaskedtosaywhy,Ishouldbepuzzled.PerhapsitisbecauseIfindinthetwopiecesnamedagreaterdetachmentthanIfindinsomeothersofDr.VanDyke'sdelightfulvolume,andgreaterevidencethathehashimselfsothoroughlyandfinallymasteredhismaterialthatheisnolongerindangerofbeingundulyaffectedbyit.Thatisadangerwhichinhisveryqualityoflyricalpoetheismostliableto,forheisaboveallalyricalpoet,andsuchdramaasthechorususuallycommentsisthedramanexthisheart.Thepieces,infact,aresomanyidyls,andtheirrealismisaneffectwhichhehasfeltratherthanreasonedhiswayto.Itisimplicationalratherthanintentional.Itisnonetheworsebutallthebetteronthataccount,andIcannotsaythatthepsychologismistheworseforbeingfrankly,howeveruninsistently,moralized.Ahumor,delicateandgenuineasthepoetryofthestories,playsthroughthem,andthemildemachtofsympathywitheverythinghumantransferstothepleasantpagestheforestersandfishermenfromtheirnativewoodsandwaters.Canadaseemsthehomeofprimitivecharacter;theseventeenthcenturysurvivesthereamongthehabitants,withtheirsteadfastfaith,theirpicturesquesuperstitions,theiroldworldtraditionsandtheirnewworldcustoms.Itisthelandnotonlyofthehabitant,butofhisoversoul,thegoodcure,andhisoverlordtheseigneur,nowfadedeconomically,butstilllingeringsociallyinthescen