Editha by William Dean Howells

¶ … William Dean Howell's "Editha"

This short story is about a war that is coming, and how Editha thinks that this is a chance for her fance George to prove his heroism. He seems far less happy and more realistic about war, however; he thinks it is wrong to break up the piece. Editha's character is revealed very quickly when she even admits to herself that she is quoting things from other people that she;s heard, but continues to press George to be happy with the news of war anyway. She is very naive and selfish, and does not understand the real ramifications of the things that happen in the world around her. The fact that she doesn't even seem to care whether or not she has her own ideas makes her selfishness and ignorance that much easier to dislike and dismiss as foolishness.

A did not expect to feel quite so passionately about the title character as I do, but the way she felt sorry for herself even after he died was incredibly frustrating. Howell does an excellent job of playing with the traditional view of war and the heroism of the soldiers in this story by making both the hero and his fiancee a little foolish. He is foolish for having been goaded into the war in the first place, and for catching some of her celebratory attitude -- and perhaps for loving her in the first place -- but she is immensely more foolish for her continued self-centeredness and complete lack of understanding as to the reality of the events of war and death.