Journal 15: Editha

Journal 15 – William Dean Howell’s “Editha”

1.  Write a sentence that summarizes the story’s overall message, and provide  three direct quotes from the story that best illustrate this message.

While reading William Dean Howell’s story, Editha, the message that war is not glorious appeared to me several times. Editha thinks that God put man on this earth to go to war and that war is glorious and her fiancé should join. George does not think the same way. He illustrates this message by questing Editha, "But war! Is it glorious to break the peace of the world?"

Editha is not convinced that war is bad, even after George’s death, until she is approached by Mrs. Gearson. Mrs. Gearson’s husband had lost his arm in war and raised her son to be anti-war. He was corrupted by Editha, convincing him that war was glorious. He was convinced that all men must prove themselves by going to war. While speaking to Editha, she says, “I suppose you would have been glad to die, such a brave person as you! I don’t believe he was glad to die.” This took a tool on Editha and made her realize that war is not all good.

"No, you didn't expect him to get killed," Mrs. Gearson repeated, in a voice which was startlingly like George's again. "You just expected him to kill some one else, some of those foreigners, that weren't there because they had any say about it, but because they had to be there, poor wretches--conscripts, or whatever they call 'em. You thought it would be all right for my George, your George, to kill the sons of those miserable mothers and the husbands of those

girls that you would never see the faces of." This brought Editha to tears and made her realize that war is not as glorious when you lose your loved ones.

2.  What tactics does Editha use to make George believe as she does about the war?

Edith glorifies war and does two things to make George believe as she does about war. She guilts him into it, writing him a letter and returning him the ring he bought her until he decides because she only wishes to marry a war hero. She also tells him that this is what God believes is the right things in life and that is the reason he put man on earth.

3.   Is there ever a time in which Editha truly understands what she has done?  Does she ever experience an epiphany?

I don’t think there is ever a time Editha truly understands what she has done. I think she feels sorrow for the death of George and somewhat responsible for the death but does not understand that she was the reason he went to war and ended up dying. She experiences an epiphany at the end that changes her sorrowful views on war back to her heroic views of war.