William Dean Howells's Short Story 'Editha'
The short story “Editha”, written by William Dean Howells, is centered around a young woman named Editha during the Spanish-American War. The story begins with a young woman, Editha, who believes she is in love with a man named George. As the story progresses, it becomes evident that this young woman believes the yellow journalism she reads and holds a romantic view towards the upcoming war. However, the man she is proposed to is a conscientious objector and finds no reason to be involved in a war. Through her persistence, she persuades George to reconsider his views on taking up arms and joining the war. To enforce her point, she also writes him a letter insisting they cannot be together until he picks their country over everything else. For
the sake of not losing his love, George decides to join the war and becomes nominated as the Captain, however, he is quickly killed before firing one bullet. Editha is heartbroken over this discovery, but also wears his death like a badge of pride. In a promise to her beloved, she travels to see George’s mother and tell her of the death of her son. However, George’s mother already knows and is thankful her son never had the time to shoot a bullet at the opposing soldiers. His mother realizes that if he had, he would have killed a wife’s husband and caused them the same grief. Editha’s views about George’s death contrast to his mother’s because Editha has not seen the true brutality and pain of a war. She only knows of the pride of having a soldier and sending him letters.
Editha’s viewpoint on war is skewed from the true reality of what takes place. She does not realize the hardships and dangers, but instead revels in the idea of him possible losing an arm for the sake of the cause. By reading the yellow journalism traveling through her town, she creates a false reality of the true feelings of war. In my opinion, she bullies her fiancé to join a war he otherwise never would have. He does not believe in war and instead wanted to be a preacher, but that would not “honor” her country. Even in his death, she takes it with pride to have had a soldier she “loved” die for such a noble cause. Editha was a selfish woman who did not understand the true brutality of wartime.
the sake of not losing his love, George decides to join the war and becomes nominated as the Captain, however, he is quickly killed before firing one bullet. Editha is heartbroken over this discovery, but also wears his death like a badge of pride. In a promise to her beloved, she travels to see George’s mother and tell her of the death of her son. However, George’s mother already knows and is thankful her son never had the time to shoot a bullet at the opposing soldiers. His mother realizes that if he had, he would have killed a wife’s husband and caused them the same grief. Editha’s views about George’s death contrast to his mother’s because Editha has not seen the true brutality and pain of a war. She only knows of the pride of having a soldier and sending him letters.
Editha’s viewpoint on war is skewed from the true reality of what takes place. She does not realize the hardships and dangers, but instead revels in the idea of him possible losing an arm for the sake of the cause. By reading the yellow journalism traveling through her town, she creates a false reality of the true feelings of war. In my opinion, she bullies her fiancé to join a war he otherwise never would have. He does not believe in war and instead wanted to be a preacher, but that would not “honor” her country. Even in his death, she takes it with pride to have had a soldier she “loved” die for such a noble cause. Editha was a selfish woman who did not understand the true brutality of wartime.