“Nothing, Sawyer, if it’s inclusive. This criterion would exclude Jane Austen for instance completely, wouldn’t it? Turgenev, probably. I can’t overemphasize the danger of this schematic approach. You must learn to read with the whole of yourselves; you must bring love as well as intellect to this kind of analysis—just as in personal relationships. After all, a really fruitful reading of an author of this stature means giving up yourself for a time, means being able to encompass something wholly by imaginative sympathy. These are not mere intellectual matters.” His fist was closed, as if he were restraining himself from bringing it down with a bang on the table. “You’re going at a fine piece of pottery with a blacksmith’s hammer. Naturally it breaks to pieces. How many of you have ever been to the Southwest?” But he did not wait for the answer. “I think this is a serious matter. We’re at the beginning of a term. It looks to me—for Kovarsky is not an isolated phenomenon”—and here Cavan suddenly smiled quite kindly. George had noticed before that the release in a passionate moment such as this always made Cavan more able to communicate in a gentle way afterwards, more human in fact—“it looks to me as if you people had better relearn how to read. You’ve been corrupted by four years of reading for examinations, reading to analyze. You’ve almost forgotten how to read for experience, and it’s high time you did. Learn to love, then you will have earned the right to judge. Anything else is cheap arrogance, believe me.” He looked now at Kovarsky in a rather friendly way. “You’ve borne the brunt of this attack, Kovarsky, I’m sorry.” But then as if he felt he had gone too far he added, “But these things have to be said, not only said but felt. I don’t care if none of you ever makes a brilliant remark or writes an A paper, if at the end of the course you are capable of homage, intelligent homage, homage which you have worked to get at with the whole of yourselves, intellect, imagination, heart.” The words came out now, hard, direct, straight at them. Then Cavan was suddenly silent, took out a cigarette, lit it, and changed his tone completely.

“Well, let’s be specific. Any comment?”