Realism

Phoenix Club Meets.

"Salient" was one of the two members of the male sex who attended the Phoenix Club meeting in the Women's Common Room last Tuesday.

Whether the other male Intellectuals of the Home of Culture and Learning wore deterred by the fact that the meeting was to be held in the Women's Common Room aforesaid, or whether at this period they were particularly harassed by exams., Is unknown, but the female seekers after truth outnumbered vastly the male ones.

Those fastidious enough to attend heard a very excellent paper read by Miss C. Hefford on "Realism." The Phoenix Club rule which allows the audience to interject throughout the reading and to comment on passages of interest or controversial statements, proved very valuable in this case.

Commencing with a definition of "Realism." Miss Hefford briefly sketched the history of the rise of modern realism. Instancing by reference to literature of the Middle Ages the old romanticism. The work of the chief modern realists were outlined, and the works of D. H. Lawrence. Proust, and James Joyce singled out for special comment.

Passing from prose to poetry. Miss Hefford read extracts from several modern poets illustrating the forms which realism might take. In poetry realism was never entirely divorced from romanticism.

An interesting discussion took place after Miss Hefford's paper had been read. Was realism an ideal or merely one method of presentation among many? Was there a movement towards realism in music, or was such a thing impossible?

These and many other questions were thrashed out, and the discussion proved of great benefit in clarifying the ideas of the audience.

The Phoenix Club is to be congratulated in arranging these discussions, which, were they more widely attended, could do much towards uplifting the cultural side of the University.