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.
This story’s overall message is to not give into peer pressure and always do what you want to with your life.

A generous sob rose in Editha's throat for the humility of a man, so very nearly perfect, who was willing to put himself below her.

Mrs. Gearson gave him no heed. "I suppose you would have been glad to die, such a brave person as you! I don't believe he was glad to die. He was always a timid boy, that way; he was afraid of a good many things; but if he was afraid he did what he made up his mind to. I suppose he made up his mind to go, but I knew what it cost him by what it cost me when I heard of it. I had been through one war before. When you sent him you didn't expect he would get killed."

"Oh, I know that, Editha. I know how sincere you are, and how-- I wish I had your undoubting spirit! I'll think it over; I'd like to believe as you do. But I don't, now; I don't, indeed. It isn't this war alone; though this seems peculiarly wanton and needless; but it's every war--so stupid; it makes me sick. Why shouldn't this thing have been settled reasonably?"


2. What tactics does Editha use to make George believe as she does about the war?
Editha tries to make George believe as she does by acting weak and sad, like him disagreeing is awful of him. She tells him how God would wants him to go to war and to be patriotic. She threatens not to marry him if he does not go, basically giving him an ultimatum. She uses the love he has for her against him by changing his morals into hers.

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

I do not think she truly understood what she had made him do until he died and she had to go visit his mother. George's mother yells at her and explains why she never wanted George to fight in the first place. I believe she feels badly then but does not have any real epiphany. Later in the story she is talking to a lady about how rude the mother was, showing how she really did not change.