In William Dean Howell’s excerpt from “Criticism and Fiction,” he opens essentially praising the work of Jane Austen, claiming her creativity makes her the first and last true realist of English literature. Realism is “material with entire truthfulness.” He expresses that it is because of her honesty that make her work so great, and therefore, beautiful. Howell from here however, then goes on to criticize numerous English writers such as Bulwer, Dickens, Charlotte Bronte, Thackeray, and even George Eliot. Due to the Romanticism era, he explains that these great writers could not escape the “taint of their time.” Thus, they could seldom write unbiased truth without shaping the subject in a self-pleasing way. On a more positive note however, he does compliment the quality of these writers. Yet he again proclaims that it doesn’t matter how well a piece is written if the idea it is conveying holds no truth. The one author, besides Austen that Howells slightly commends is Anthony Trollope. He says his “simple honesty and instinctive truth” made him great however, when he allowed his opinion to get in the way it would warp his wholesome idea, and thereby beauty surpassed him. Howell ends by claiming that if truth were a fad, perhaps society would seek it more in our writings; however we will have to wait until civilization advances to that point.
Howell was very bold in criticizing so many well respected writers in “Criticism and Fiction.” I would agree with him in saying that the wholesome truth that lies in writing does in fact make it beautiful as truth is so untainted, and all together perfect in its nature. However, I do still believe that it is not solely truth that makes a piece of work beautiful. And although some people may alter truth accordingly to what they see as beautiful, that is very well acceptable and in many cases what makes a writer unique and great.
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