*Henry James in respect to Edith Wharton*

Summarize what Henry James is saying in his essay “The Art of Fiction”.

Henry James’s purpose in writing his essay, “The Art of Fiction”, is to present his own ideas and opinions on “the mystery of story-telling.” (pg. 553) In the essay, he tells to the reader that to write you must be free; free to observe, to feel and to record life as you have experienced and/or interpreted it, his only condition being that the work itself be sincere. He goes on to say that fiction, as an art, should be highly detailed in order to accurately portray life. Also, it should constantly be expanded on and experimented with in order to fulfill curiosity and to showcase opinions. “Art lives upon discussion, upon experiment upon curiosity and variety of attempt, upon the exchange of views and the comparisons of standpoints…” (pg. 554)
According to James, fiction must never admit to being ‘make-believe’ as Anthony Trollope does in his narratives. By doing so Trollope takes away from his work by implying he is only interested in the story, not the truth he could accomplish as the narratives philosopher and painter. James also states that “literature should be either instructive or amusing…” (pg. 556) It must keep the reader interested (which is subjective depending on the person) but should be more than just a ‘good’ story. There are many works of fiction but the good ones “subsist[s] and emit[s] its light and stimulates our desire for perfection.” (pg 557) Freedom is what will produce great fiction; the freedom to try different things so long as it is interesting; without interest their can be no value. Form, like the brush strokes of a painter, are unique to the writer and what the quality of the work is judged on. The novelist should write from the experiences (which are never limited) or impressions she/he has had, always keeping in mind a sense of reality. Most important, the writer must include detail through use of descriptions, dialogue, or characters actions.

How do James's ideas of fiction relate to Edith Wharton’s “Souls Belated”?

According to Henry James “A novel is in its broadest definition a personal, a direct impression of life…” (pg. 557) As I read Edith Wharton's "Souls Belated" I felt that I was somewhat looking in on her personal opinion which had come from her own life experiences. According to her author introduction she separated from her husband in 1911, an action which at the time would have been fairly uncommon, socially setting her apart and greatly impacting her life. Though "Souls Belated" was published a decade before Wharton's separation from her husband, it contains within it a picture of the harsh cruelties society places on women who are divorced; cruelties which she may have wanted to avoid. Though Wharton herself had not experienced what Lydia felt, she observed similar situations or hypothesized peoples reactions and created a believable story. “The power to guess the unseen from the seen, to trace the implications of things, to judge the whole piece by the pattern, the condition of feeling life in general so completely that you are well on your way to knowing any particular corner of it – this cluster of gifts may almost be said to constitute experience…” (pg. 559)

Also consistent with James’s “Art of Fiction”, Wharton is very detailed in her work. Not much physical action takes place but the mental conflict described is fully developed.