“Editha” is a story about a young naïve woman named Editha, who insists that her fiancé, George Gearson, a methodical man, to fight in the Spanish-American War. Editha blindly and ignorantly believes in the heroic romanticism of war and is totally oblivious to the real consequences of battle. She is overjoyed that war is being declared and cannot apprehend his hate for war and his reluctance to fight in a war. Editha believes that her boyfriend is not a real 'man' unless he goes to fight for his country. George has is his chance, because the Spanish-American War has been declared. The fact that George does not seem to take anything very seriously irritates Editha, and she practically torments him into enlisting in the army when war is declared …show more content…
When George leaves Editha after war has been declared, George’s mother says that she prays that George will not enlist, but Editha hopes that he will. Editha places her engagement ring and various other keepsakes into a package with a letter to George telling him to keep them until he enlists. She chooses to save the package for a while longer in case George does the “right” thing. George goes back to Editha’s house that evening with the news that he led the pro-war speeches at the town meeting and was appointed captain of the local volunteers. He is in the midst of the first wave of soldiers who died, and Editha properly wears black out of respect, but she does so with a great deal of pride and goes to visit George's
In An American Soldier in World War I, David Snead examines account of George Browne, a civil engineer who fought as part of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) during World War I. Snead shares Browne’s account of the war through the letters he wrote to his fiancé Martha Ingersoll Johnson. Through Browne’s letters and research conducted of the AEF, Snead gives a concise, informative, and harrowing narrative of life as a soldier serving in the camps and front lines of the Great War. Snead attempts to give the reader an understanding of Browne’s service by focusing on his division, the 42nd Division, their training and preparation, combat on the front lines, and the effects of war on George and Martha’s relationship. As Snead describes, “Brownie’s letters offer a view of the experiences of an American soldier. He described the difficulties of training, transit to and from France, the dangers and excitement of combat, and the war’s impact on relationships.” (Browne 2006, 2) Furthermore, he describes that despite the war’s effect on their relationship, “their
After a few days of grieving, Editha went to George’s mother’s house. During a tragic even in a love-war story, both sides of the family would come together and overcome the obstacle. However, in Editha when she went to George’s parent’s house the mother gave more guilt to Editha saying, “He told me he had asked you to come if he got killed. You did not expect that, I suppose, when you sent him” (1499). The mother continues to say, “When they give their men up to their country, they think they will come marching back, somehow, just as gay as they went...and they are so much the prouder of them” (1500).
Annemarie is a normal young girl, ten years old, she has normal difficulties and duties like any other girl. but these difficulties aren’t normal ones, she’s faced with the difficulties of war. this war has made Annemarie into a very smart girl, she spends most of her time thinking about how to be safe at all times “Annemarie admitted to herself,snuggling there in the quiet dark, that she was glad to be an ordinary person who would never be called upon for courage.
In the short story, “Editha” William Dean Howells writes about a manipulative woman named Editha who insists that her soon to be fiancé George Gearson fight in the Spanish-American War. As she bases her views about the war on the yellow journalism she reads she forces her fiancé to sign up and fight for their country out of believing “a man who wants to win her must do something to deserve her” (1389). In fact, this leads Editha to give George an ultimatum by choosing war to save their engagement but all soon backfires when finding out that George was killed in one of the first battles. This story has a deeper meaning in a way that Howells creates a sense of mixed emotions on Editha and if she ever loved George or if she was overtaken with
A big "celebration" dinner was planned for John's going away. All of his family and close friends came to enjoy good food and fellowship before leaving in the morning. His parents were to drive him to the airport where he would fly to the army base. The same base his father trained at many years ago. John's father was proud of his son, but also a little concerned, for he realized the seriousness of this war.
He in the end losses maggie, who in some way helped him find closure for his lost daughter. Through the use of Characterization Atkinson explains how the physical loss of George's daughter leads to the loss of his identity.
What are you going to do if your girlfriend asks you to give up your life for your country? The first thing I will do is pick up my cell phone to call my family doctor to schedule an appointment to check my ears and make sure they are working well, or I can put on a strong emotional face to ask her, "Are you serious?" Most people would not want to see the person they love go off to a place where they could possibly die. In William Dean Howells' short story, "Editha", however, the main character is an unusual woman, Editha, who has her own perfect ideals and pushes them on her lover, George, to ask him to fight in the Spanish-American War. In the story Howells not only brought his anti-war message about the dangers of war but also satirized the United States' governments that have foolish ideas about the reasons to go to war. To do this, Editha's personalities are irrational patriotism, selfish romanticism understanding, and unrealistic ideas about war.
Throughout an individual’s life-time, he/she has a vision as o what his/her should be. But when things do not go as planned and the unexpected occurs, does that person face it, or run away? In “An Act of Vengeance” by Isabel Allende, running away is not an option at well. Through the usage of plot, character and irony, Allende illustrates the cost of war.
A link is also created between Elizabeth and Tipper as Faulks describes that Robert could see Elizabeth’s eyes ‘fill with a determination he had never seen’ which contrasts with the dehumanisation of Tipper as light was lost from his eyes. In this case, Elizabeth is having new life brought to her. The new life of the character baby John indicates that the effects of the War will always remain and that within ‘those still living’ its memory will always live on. In summary, Faulks indicates to us that we should have a strong interest in the War because of the sacrifices that the men made for us.
Every Friday the colonel goes to the post office to wait for his pension. He has been doing this for fifteen years and has not received anything. When he goes back home he must listen to his wife rant about waiting long enough and having the patient as an ox to wait fifteen years for the pension. The colonel writes, “‘We have to wait our turn… Our number is 1823’” (22). The colonel refuses to give up the hope that he will receive his pension. Even though he has waited fifteen years for the letter, he will most likely continue to wait at the post office. Even with his wife giving him lectures about it not going to come, he still does not care to give in and continues to go. But he shows a type of nobility to this. He never gets mad at his wife. Even when she lectures him, or when he is waiting for his pension, he never loses his patience. He carries this nobility with him. For example, his wife tells him to go see a lawyer about the pension, and he listens to her and goes. When they are discussing the pension, the lawyer tells him the government won't give him any of the money. The colonel reflects about a memory during the war. Garcia Marquez explains, “As Treasure of the revolution… he had undertaken a difficult six-day journey with the funds of the civil war… half an hour before the treaty was signed” (26). The colonel was taking the money for the revolution to the signing of the treaty. He
The short story “In Another Country” by Earnest Hemingway is a story about the negative effects of war. The story follows an unnamed American officer and his dealings with three other officers, all of whom are wounded in World War I and are recuperating in Milan, Italy. In war, much can be gained such as freedom and peace, however war also causes a plethora of negative consequences. Cultural alienation, loss of physical and emotional identity, and the irony of war technology and uncertainty of life are all serious consequences of war that are clearly shown by Hemingway.
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway is a novel set in Italy during World War I. It tells the story of its protagonist, an ambulance driver named Frederic Henry (most often referred to as simply Henry), and his love for a nurse named Catherine Barkley during a time in which Henry has sought to escape from the war around him. A Farewell to Arms, which is notable for its melancholy plot, strongly resembles some aspects of Hemingway’s own life; he committed suicide after a lifelong case of depression, and he too experienced the tragedies of war. He communicates one major theme through A Farwell to Arms—the inevitability of the loss of happiness. Hemingway expresses this idea through his ingenious use of symbolism, motif, and irony.
This is a not a heroic story of any sort. The readers get to see the ugliness of war through Natalia’s eyes. Even when her world echoes with the adversities of war, she tries her best to deal with the blows without any hints of immense bravery. Natalia shows that women during this time in the war can survive without the help of a man. It’s shows how the ordinary and tough lives that live away from the frontlines of the Spanish Civil War.
Through Henry and Catherine’s relationship and experiences together, Hemingway demonstrates the belief that while death is inescapable, it is still important to face death with courage. Henry is stating that he has made a “separate peace” with the war which means he is trying to forget about it. When Lt. Henry and Catherine were discussing about how they are going to be in the future, Lt. Henry states, “If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world ...
A Farewell to Arms is clearly an anti-war novel; the story swifts from naive game playing, through the stages of love and hope, to pure despair and an understanding that a war can lead to no winners. The passionate love story of the novel strengthens the message still more by showing the ironic similarity, but also its discrepancy, with the war. The discrepancy is to be taken into serious account, this discrepancy is the important message of this novel; make love not war.