On the Art of Writing · Character
Samuel Johnson
The gruff lexicographer-critic who survives because he never saw literature but as part of life, refusing any phrase empty of life or false to it.
supporting
Also known as Johnson, Samuel
First appearance: Lecture I: Inaugural
As a supporting figure in On the Art of Writing, Samuel Johnson is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Cited for his definition of poetry and his comment on Gray's 'Elegy'.
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He is offered as the counterweight to the notion that critics are artificial in phrase and pedantic in judgment, a man who could be wrongheaded and perverse yet could not let a well-turned but lifeless phrase pass. His…
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- Other
Character groups
- Broad Canon of Reference
- Poetic and Dramatic Models
- Protagonist
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Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
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- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where the lecturer’s…
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Samuel Johnson appears across 2 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
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See Samuel Johnson in Lecture I: Inaugural