# Mr. Howells — A Voice from the South character guide

> Mr. Howells in A Voice from the South by Anna Julia Cooper.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** himself

**First appearance:** 0005-womanhood-a-vital-element-in-the-regeneration-and-progress-of-a-race

## Snapshot

The reigning literary arbiter of the era, whose judgments on race and writing the narrator examines as a measure of the nation's taste.

## Who they are

As the prominent man of letters whose notice can make or unmake a book, he represents the gatekeeping power of American letters. The narrator treats his views as a test case: how does the most cultivated critical opinion handle the Negro question? His presence in the early chapters shows that the problem is not confined to the South but runs through the drawing rooms of literary America.

## Relationships

### [Unknown Narrator](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/characters/unknown_narrator)

_professional_

Mr. Howells appears as a literary critic or editor whose opinions the narrator engages with critically.

### [Lo](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/characters/lo)

_rivalry_

Lo critiques Mr. Howells' literary representations of Black people, positioning him as a gatekeeper of racist stereotypes.

## In the story

### [One Phase of American Literature](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/chapters/one-phase-of-american-literature)

Criticized for his superficial and biased portrayal of Black society in his writings, particularly the depiction of Rhoda Aldgate's church visit.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/characters/mr_howells
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_voice_from_the_south_se/characters