第2章

Theanalytictendencyseemstohaveincreasedwithhimashisworkhasgoneon.Someoftheearliertaleswereverydramatic：

"APassionatePilgrim，"whichIshouldrankaboveallhisothershortstories，andforcertainrichpoeticalqualities，aboveeverythingelsethathehasdone，iseminentlydramatic.ButI

donotfindmuchthatIshouldcalldramaticin"ThePortraitofaLady，"whileIdofindinitanamountofanalysiswhichI

shouldcallsuperabundanceifitwerenotallsuchgoodliterature.Thenovelist\'smainbusinessistopossesshisreaderwithadueconceptionofhischaractersandthesituationsinwhichtheyfindthemselves.Ifhedoesmoreorlessthanthisheequallyfails.IhavesometimesthoughtthatMr.James\'sdangerwastodomore，butwhenIhavebeenreadytodeclarethisexcessanerrorofhismethodIhavehesitated.CouldanythingbesuperfluousthathadgivenmesomuchpleasureasIread？

Certainlyfromonlyonepointofview，andthisarathernarrow，technicalone.ItseemstomethatanenlightenedcriticismwillrecognizeinMr.James\'sfictionametaphysicalgeniusworkingtoaestheticresults，andwillnotbedisposedtodenyitanymethoditchoosestoemploy.Noothernovelist，exceptGeorgeEliot，hasdealtsolargelyinanalysisofmotive，hassofullyexplainedandcommenteduponthespringsofactioninthepersonsofthedrama，bothbeforeandafterthefacts.Thesenovelistsaremorealikethananyothersintheirprocesses，butwithGeorgeEliotanethicalpurposeisdominant，andwithMr.Jamesanartisticpurpose.IdonotknowjusthowitshouldbestatedoftwosuchnobleandgeneroustypesofcharacterasDorotheaandIsabelArcher，butIthinkthatwesympathizewiththeformeringrandaimsthatchieflyconcernothers，andwiththelatterinbeautifuldreamsthatprimarilyconcernherself.Bothareunselfishanddevotedwomen，sublimelytruetoamistakenidealintheirmarriages;but，thoughtheycometothiscommonmartyrdom，theoriginaldifferenceinthemremains.Isabelhashergreatweaknesses，asDorotheahad，buttheseseemtome，onthewhole，themostnoblyimaginedandthemostnoblyintentionedwomeninmodernfiction;andIthinkIsabelisthemoresubtlydivinedofthetwo.Ifwespeakofmerecharacterization，wemustnotfailtoacknowledgetheperfectionofGilbertOsmond.

ItwasaprofoundstroketomakehimanAmericanbybirth.NoEuropeancouldrealizesofullyinhisownlifetheidealofaEuropeandilettanteinallthemeaningofthatcheapenedword;asnoEuropeancouldsodeeplyandtenderlyfeelthesweetnessandlovelinessoftheEnglishpastasthesickAmerican，Searle，in"ThePassionatePilgrim."

Whatiscalledtheinternationalnovelispopularlydatedfromthepublicationof"DaisyMiller，"though"RoderickHudson"and"TheAmerican"hadgonebefore;butitreallybeganinthebeautifulstorywhichIhavejustnamed.Mr.James，whoinventedthisspeciesinfiction，firstcontrastedinthe"PassionatePilgrim"theNewWorldandOldWorldmoods，ideals，andprejudices，andhedidittherewitharichnessofpoeticeffectwhichhehassinceneverequalled.IownthatIregretthelossofthepoetry，butyoucannotaskamantokeeponbeingapoetforyou;itishardlyforhimtochoose;yetIcompareratherdiscontentedlyinmyownmindsuchimpassionedcreationsasSearleandthepainterin"TheMadonnaoftheFuture"with"DaisyMiller，"ofwhoseslight，thinpersonalityIalsofeeltheindefinablecharm，andofthetragedyofwhoseinnocenceI

recognizethedelicatepathos.Lookingbacktothoseearlystories，whereMr.Jamesstoodatthedividingwaysofthenovelandtheromance，Iamsometimessorrythathedeclaredevensuperficiallyfortheformer.Hisbesteffortsseemtomethoseofromance;hisbesttypeshaveanidealdevelopment，likeIsabelandClaireBelgardeandBessyAldenandpoorDaisyandevenNewman.But，doubtless，hehaschosenwisely;perhapstheromanceisanoutwornform，andwouldnotlenditselftothereproductionofeventheidealityofmodernlife.Imyselfwaversomewhatinmypreference——ifitisapreference——whenIthinkofsuchpeopleasLordWarburtonandtheTouchetts，whomItaketobealldecidedlyofthisworld.ThefirstoftheseespeciallyinterestedmeasaprobabletypeoftheEnglishnobleman，whoamiablyacceptstheexistingsituationwithallitspossibilitiesofpoliticalandsocialchange，andinsistsnotatalluponthesurvivingfeudalities，butmeanstobeamanlyandsimplegentlemaninanyevent.AnAmericanisnotabletopronounceastotheverityofthetype;Ionlyknowthatitseemsprobableandthatitischarming.ItmakesonewishthatitwereinMr.

James\'swaytopaintinsomestorythepresentphaseofchangeinEngland.Atitledpersonageisstillmainlyaninconceivablebeingtous;heislikeagoblinorafairyinastorybook.Howdoeshecomporthimselfinthefaceofallthechangesandmodificationsthathavetakenplaceandthatstillimpend？Wecanhardlyimaginealordtakinghisnobilityseriously;itissomehintoftheconditionalframeofLordWarburton\'smindthatmakeshimimaginableanddelightfultous.

ItisnotmypurposeheretoreviewanyofMr.James\'sbooks;I

likebettertospeakofhispeoplethanoftheconductofhisnovels，andIwishtorecognizethefinenesswithwhichhehastouched—intheprettyprimnessofOsmond\'sdaughterandthemilddevotednessofMr.Rosier.Amasterlyhandisasoftenmanifestinthetreatmentofsuchsubordinatefiguresasinthatoftheprincipalpersons，andMr.Jamesdoesthemunerringly.ThisisfeltinthemoreimportantcharacterofValentinBelgarde，afascinatingcharacterinspiteofitsdefects，——perhapsonaccountofthem——andasortofFrenchLordWarburton，butwittier，andnotsogood."Thesearemyideas，"sayshissister—in—law，attheendofanumberofinanities."Ah，youcallthemideas！"hereturns，whichisdeliciousandmakesyoulovehim.He，too，hashismomentsofmisgiving，apparentlyinregardtohisnobility，andhisacceptanceofNewmanonthebasisofsomethinglike"manhoodsuffrage"isverycharming.Itisofcoursedifficultforaremoteplebeiantoverifythepicturesoflegitimistsocietyin"TheAmerican，"butthereistheprobablesuggestioninthemofconditionsandprinciples，andwantofprinciples，ofwhichwegetglimpsesinourtravelsabroad;atanyrate，theyrevealanotherandnotimpossibleworld，anditisfinetohaveNewmandiscoverthattheopinionsandcriticismsofourworldaresoabsolutelyvaluelessinthatspherethathisknowledgeoftheinfamouscrimeofthemotherandbrotherofhisbetrothedwillhavenoeffectwhateveruponthemintheirowncircleifheexplodesitthere.Thisseemslikearistocracyindeed！andoneadmires，almostrespects，itssurvivalinourday.ButIalwaysregrettedthatNewman\'sdiscoveryseemedtheprecursorofhismagnanimousresolutionnottoavengehimself;itweakenedtheeffectofthis，withwhichithadreallynothingtodo.Uponthewhole，however，NewmanisanadequateandsatisfyingrepresentativeofAmericanism，withhisgenerousmatrimonialambition，hisvastgood—nature，andhisthoroughgoodsenseandrightfeeling.Wemustbeveryhardtopleaseifwearenotpleasedwithhim.Heisnotthe"cultivatedAmerican"

whoredeemsusfromtimetotimeintheeyesofEurope;butheisunquestionablymorenational，anditisobservablethathisunaffectedfellow—countrymenandwomenfareverywellatMr.

James\'shandalways;itistheEuropeanizingsortlikethecriticallittleBostonianinthe"BundleofLetters，"theladiesshockedatDaisyMiller，themotherinthe"PensionBeaurepas"

whogoesabouttryingtobeofthe"native"worldeverywhere，MadameMerleandGilbertOsmond，MissLightandhermother，whohavereasontocomplain，ifanyonehas.DoubtlessMr.JamesdoesnotmeantosatirizesuchAmericans，butitisinterestingtonotehowtheystrikesuchakeenobserver.Wearecertainlynotallowedtolikethem，andtheothersortfindsomehowaplaceinouraffectionsalongwithhisgoodEuropeans.Itisalittleodd，bytheway，thatinalltheprintedtalkaboutMr.