58
PARTISAN REVIEW
in terms of human destinies. The white men are always inclined to
shoot first and then ask questions as to why they shot. Nerves pop.
Trigger fingers are given deadly exercise. Ropes are brought out. With
great courage and passionate protest Richard Wright has told the story
of his own people. He minces no words. And there is no questioning the
authenticity of his work.
Especially remarkable is the handling of dialogue. Richard Wright
uses simple speech as a means of carrying on his narrative, as a medium
for poetic and lyrical effects, and as an instrument of characterization.
Through the dialect of his people he is able to generalize their feelings
about life, their fate, the social situation in which they they live and
suffer and are oppressed. Here is a demonstration-which many writers
might study--of the possibilities of the vernacular.
However, it should be remarked that Wright is addicted to certain
mannerisms which are unnecessary and which detract from the develop·
ment of his stories. He is inclined to spread capital letters all over his
pages in order to gain emphasis, when such sensationalism is absolutely
needless. He shows a tendency to overwrite when he speaks auctorially
and when he wants to describe complicated emotions and poetic back–
grounds. Then he has bare feet whisper too much in the dark, and there
is too much ebb and surge in the blood of his characters. And at times he
gets lost in complicated or swift moving narrative. In part, at least, these
are mannerisms which can easily be dropped with a little more work
and some self-conscious reflection on writing as a technique. Such criti–
cisms notwithstanding,
Uncle Tom's
C
hildl'en
remains as a true and
powerful work by a new American writer. It is a book of bitter truths
and bitter tragedies written by an able and sensitive talent. It is not
merely a book of promise.
It
is a genuine literary achievement.
JAMES
T.
FARRELL
TWO VIEWS OF CUMMINGS
COLLECTED POEMS.
By E. E. Cummings. Harcourt, Brace. $2.50.
I
It would be nice to have all of Cummings' published verse collected
in one volume, arranged chronologically and printed in its original form
and order. This would have the statistical virtues of a complete and
orderly docket whereby to review the pros and cons of his claims on
poetry. It would be even nicer-not to say more valuable to have a
selection of the very best of his work arranged in some kind of descend–
ing scale of categories (Sonnets, Satires, Sexires, and Whimsies alliterates
to mind.) Aside from genuine literary value such a volume would have
the virtues of economy:-clarity, efficiency, and paucity-and the great–
est of these, perhaps, would be paucity. It would probably be about
