William Dean Johnson authored Editha at a time when there was a resurgence of literary romanticism which surpassed and overshadowed the realistic movement. Hoping to sway the public from what he felt were unrealistic notions of optimism, he penned Editha in an effort to criticize the idealism of the day which counteracted the realism in which he believed. The titular character in Johnson’ Editha is a naïve young girl who fails to see the reality of war and the consequences that potentially await for the man she loves when she pressures him to join the crusade. Editha blindly believes in the romanticism of the war and envisions nothing but adoration for her lover as a returning hero. Through his short story Editha, Johnson uses realism to
…show more content…
Editha has a romantic view of war and views it as a “life-affirming service” (Piacentino 425). She is delighted to envision him as proudly serving his country. When the war is announced Editha exclaims “how glorious!” (Johnson 376) and seems to be in awe with the thought of having a hero to prove his love to her. She begins to envision the pride she will feel for her lover as a result of the war. Editha further believes that if her lover were to go to war, it would prove that he had done “something worthy to have won her” (Johnson 377) and even imagines with excitement the thought of sharing her arms with George should he lose one of his own. She doesn’t once comprehend the possibility of death and the human price of war. To Editha, and her blind patriotism, America’s commitment to war leaves no question to its validity. In contrast to his fiancée Editha’s view, George views the war as a “life-denying act” (Piacentino 425). He was taught that “war a fool thing as well as a bad thing” (Johnson 382). He realistically has reservations about the war and we later learn this to be a result of his father’s history in war. George is representative of the realistic side which sees “an all-too-common paradigm: misery, suffering, needless chaos, destruction, psychological and physical maiming, and even death” (Piacentino 425). On the other hand, Editha …show more content…
Only in the time following the encounter with Mrs. Gearson does it dawn on Editha that she is the catalyst to the events that lead to George’s death and only then does she truly understand the significance of her actions. However, this period of realization is short-lived, as after sharing her story with a woman painting her portrait, she is greeted by the woman’s support of her position who also remarks on the offensiveness of Mrs. Gearson, immediately instilling in Editha her former idealisms of the relevance of war. Only then is Editha able to rise “from groveling in shame and self-pity, and began to live again in the ideal” (Piacentino 432). Thus, although Editha had suffered a temporary blow to her notions of the romanticism and greater good of war, she reverts to her former naivety and is “left at the end of the story unconscious of her responsibility in persuading the unwilling George to go to war” (Godspeed-Chadwick 68). She in essence had her faith in the idealization of war renewed by just a word. She is last seen in the story able to “revel in her tragedy, consoled by her judgment of Mrs. Gearson as vulgar” (Day
Editha has a romantic view of war and views it as a “life-affirming service” (Piacentino 425). She is delighted to envision him as proudly serving his country. When the war is announced Editha exclaims “how glorious!” (Johnson 376) and seems to be in awe with the thought of having a hero to prove his love to her. She begins to envision the pride she will feel for her lover as a result of the war. Editha further believes that if her lover were to go to war, it would prove that he had done “something worthy to have won her” (Johnson 377) and even imagines with excitement the thought of sharing her arms with George should he lose one of his own. She doesn’t once comprehend the possibility of death and the human price of war. To Editha, and her blind patriotism, America’s commitment to war leaves no question to its validity. In contrast to his fiancée Editha’s view, George views the war as a “life-denying act” (Piacentino 425). He was taught that “war a fool thing as well as a bad thing” (Johnson 382). He realistically has reservations about the war and we later learn this to be a result of his father’s history in war. George is representative of the realistic side which sees “an all-too-common paradigm: misery, suffering, needless chaos, destruction, psychological and physical maiming, and even death” (Piacentino 425). On the other hand, Editha …show more content…
Only in the time following the encounter with Mrs. Gearson does it dawn on Editha that she is the catalyst to the events that lead to George’s death and only then does she truly understand the significance of her actions. However, this period of realization is short-lived, as after sharing her story with a woman painting her portrait, she is greeted by the woman’s support of her position who also remarks on the offensiveness of Mrs. Gearson, immediately instilling in Editha her former idealisms of the relevance of war. Only then is Editha able to rise “from groveling in shame and self-pity, and began to live again in the ideal” (Piacentino 432). Thus, although Editha had suffered a temporary blow to her notions of the romanticism and greater good of war, she reverts to her former naivety and is “left at the end of the story unconscious of her responsibility in persuading the unwilling George to go to war” (Godspeed-Chadwick 68). She in essence had her faith in the idealization of war renewed by just a word. She is last seen in the story able to “revel in her tragedy, consoled by her judgment of Mrs. Gearson as vulgar” (Day