In Henry James’s short story “The Scholar,” we see a young man who is described by those around him as a genius. I say “see” deliberately. The boy says almost nothing, and the reader is given no evidence of his brilliance, aside from the way that he is treated and spoken of by the other characters in the story. For years, I have been troubled by this story. Why didn’t James show us what a genius is like? Ever since reading “The Scholar,” I have been trying to find an intelligent fictional character, or failing that, trying to create one.
Mentor Par Excellence
Mentor Par Excellence
Mentor Par Excellence
In Henry James’s short story “The Scholar,” we see a young man who is described by those around him as a genius. I say “see” deliberately. The boy says almost nothing, and the reader is given no evidence of his brilliance, aside from the way that he is treated and spoken of by the other characters in the story. For years, I have been troubled by this story. Why didn’t James show us what a genius is like? Ever since reading “The Scholar,” I have been trying to find an intelligent fictional character, or failing that, trying to create one.