Chapter XX -- The Culture Element in Fiction

One of the chief elements in fic-
tion which make for culture is,
primarily, its disclosure of the ele-
mentary types of character and ex-
perience. A single illustration of this
quality will suggest its presence in all
novels of the first rank and its uni-
versal interest and importance. The
aspirations, dreams, devotions, and
sacrifices of men are as real as their
response to self-interest or their tend-
ency to the conventional and the
commonplace; and they are, in the
long run, a great deal more influen-
tial. They have wider play; they
are more compelling; and they are
of the very highest significance, be-

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v?