Theanalytictendencyseemstohaveincreasedwithhimashisworkhasgoneon.Someoftheearliertaleswereverydramatic：
\"APassionatePilgrim，\"whichIshouldrankaboveallhisothershortstories，andforcertainrichpoeticalqualities，aboveeverythingelsethathehasdone，iseminentlydramatic.ButI
donotfindmuchthatIshouldcalldramaticin\"ThePortraitofaLady，\"whileIdofindinitanamountofanalysiswhichI
shouldcallsuperabundanceifitwerenotallsuchgoodliterature.Thenovelist\'smainbusinessistopossesshisreaderwithadueconceptionofhischaractersandthesituationsinwhichtheyfindthemselves.Ifhedoesmoreorlessthanthisheequallyfails.IhavesometimesthoughtthatMr.James\'sdangerwastodomore，butwhenIhavebeenreadytodeclarethisexcessanerrorofhismethodIhavehesitated.CouldanythingbesuperfluousthathadgivenmesomuchpleasureasIread？
Certainlyfromonlyonepointofview，andthisarathernarrow，technicalone.ItseemstomethatanenlightenedcriticismwillrecognizeinMr.James\'sfictionametaphysicalgeniusworkingtoaestheticresults，andwillnotbedisposedtodenyitanymethoditchoosestoemploy.Noothernovelist，exceptGeorgeEliot，hasdealtsolargelyinanalysisofmotive，hassofullyexplainedandcommenteduponthespringsofactioninthepersonsofthedrama，bothbeforeandafterthefacts.Thesenovelistsaremorealikethananyothersintheirprocesses，butwithGeorgeEliotanethicalpurposeisdominant，andwithMr.Jamesanartisticpurpose.IdonotknowjusthowitshouldbestatedoftwosuchnobleandgeneroustypesofcharacterasDorotheaandIsabelArcher，butIthinkthatwesympathizewiththeformeringrandaimsthatchieflyconcernothers，andwiththelatterinbeautifuldreamsthatprimarilyconcernherself.Bothareunselfishanddevotedwomen，sublimelytruetoamistakenidealintheirmarriages;but，thoughtheycometothiscommonmartyrdom，theoriginaldifferenceinthemremains.Isabelhashergreatweaknesses，asDorotheahad，buttheseseemtome，onthewhole，themostnoblyimaginedandthemostnoblyintentionedwomeninmodernfiction;andIthinkIsabelisthemoresubtlydivinedofthetwo.Ifwespeakofmerecharacterization，wemustnotfailtoacknowledgetheperfectionofGilbertOsmond.