"It is unhappily true that much insincere Literature and Art, executed solely with a view to effect, does succeed by deceiving the public"

This quote by George Henry Lewes talks to the unfortunate reality that much of the literature and art that is created is done so with the sole function of deceiving the general public. This insincere work is frequently successful in its goal of fooling the general public, as it is developed with the objective of manipulating the audience into thinking something that is not true. This quote acts as a warning to the public to be aware of the capacity for deception in the literature and art they consume, and to be conscious of the possibility that the work they are engaging with might not be genuine. It is necessary to be knowledgeable about the potential for deception in the literature and art we consume, and to be mindful of the possibility that the work we are engaging with may not be real.