"Literature nowadays is a trade. Putting aside men of genius, who may succeed by mere cosmic force, your successful man of letters is your skilful tradesman. He thinks first and foremost of the markets."
Jasper's words summarize the literary scene of 1882, along with the requirements, and expectations attached to any successful author. Traditionalists like Edwin Reardon had no more presence, and were no longer needed. Writers were expected to adapt their talents with the requests of readers and the popular genres of the market. Accordingly, writing acquired the aspects of a trade, and literary labor was stripped of its former sacred muse and creativity to be confined and tightly controlled by the quickly changing scene at the turn of the century.
"The sum of their faults was their inability to earn money; but, indeed, that inability does not call for unmingled disdain."
This quote is taken from a passage analyzing the merits and deficiencies of Edwin Reardon and Harold Biffen. It is an ambiguous analysis that makes any judgment, to be drawn about this pair, solely the responsibility of the reader. And yet, throughout this very passage, Gissing’s portrayal of the shifting literary world is a clear and strong one; one inspired by his own experiences. He explains the endless difficulties which meet the authors every single step of the way. He does not condemn writers like Reardon and Biffen, but rather puts the blame on an unjust system which discriminates against the likes of them for a matter of few pounds.
"But surely before long some Edison would make the true automaton; the problem must be comparatively such a simple one. Only to throw in a given number of old books, and have them reduced, blended, modernised into a single one for today’s consumption."
This is a satirical representation of the author’s contemporary literary scene. This passage compares the works of the day to a mass production of little or no value. Such description denotes the rare merits and endowments of a great portion of the 1880s authors, who wrote to sell and make a living instead of creating a higher form of art.
“And so it came to pass that one day the little girl, hearing her mother make some fragrant grammatical error, turned to the other parent and asked gravely: ‘why doesn’t mother speak as properly as we do?’ Well, that is one of the results of such marriages, one of the myriad miseries that result from poverty.”
Gissing is known to be an author who had devoted his writings to tackle the different social issues of his time. One of these is poverty and the impediments it had forced upon people. Alfred Yule, for instance, had married a woman from a lower class than his; therefore, a woman of very humble and limited education. This deficiency in her character had spoiled her married life, and marred even her husband’s love for her; the latter continued to scorn and revolt bitterly against it for long years. This is by no means a fault of the poor woman’s who is depicted as an obedient wife and a loving mother. But in this manner, Gissing illustrates the evils resulting from poverty and how it can attain other spheres such as education, marriage, and parenting.
“Educated girls have a pronounced distaste for London garrets; not one in fifty thousand would share poverty with the brightest genius ever born”
This is another instance in which the author uses the narrator to condemn the injustice of society and the evils of poverty. This time, however, his concern is for the wasted genius. Ignored and deserted by society on the piteous grounds of poverty, many brilliant authors have lived and died unknown, unrecognized, and with them their talents were put in an early grave without benefitting the world. This is Gissing’s topmost concern with such characters as Biffen. Through this example of dire poverty, he attempted to warn against this ongoing injustice with an appeal to his readers for change.
“Now she was well aware that no degree of distinction in her husband would be of much value to her unless she had the pleasure of witnessing its effect upon others; she must shine with reflected light before an admiring assembly.”
This passage summarizes the odd nature of Amy’s love to her husband. Amy is a complex character whose analysis throws the light upon several issues; some of which are personal, others societal. Among the latter category, the quote emphasizes the importance of public image and reputation in late Victorian society. Amy’s love and admiration for her husband dwindled with his declining career. Deep down, she knew he was the same talented author, but this knowledge had lost its value the moment such talent and brilliancy ceased to be the source of admiration in society.
