“Editha” William Dean Howells

Man of Many Skills William Dean Howells was a novelist, playwright, critic, essayist, reviewer, poet, and editor. Always in the public eye Huge impact on the growing middle-class readership of the 1880s and 1890s. Classified as both traditional and innovative; promoted American realism; achieved international fame. Very little formal schooling; learned from his publisher father; began writing at a young age.

Immense Fame Editor of several magazines and newspapers Addressed social and economic injustice in his work Explored the “moral failure of individuals who have been corrupted by their culture’s worst values” (306). Classified as a world literary authority Supported/befriended George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, Leo Tolstoy, Paul Dunbar, Edith Wharton, Emily Dickinson, Henry James, and Mark Twain Served for 13 years as the 1 st president of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Believed that the middle-class “deserved literary respect” (307)

War can split up couples. This story was 1 st printed in Harper’s Monthly in Jan There is a war starting, though we don’t know which one. Editha seems to be at war with herself about “whether she could let [George] go” (307). Editha seems to believe that the war will be “glorious” while George asks “is it glorious to break the peace of the world?” (308). To Editha, George is “nearly perfect” and she hopes his going to war would make her feel he has “done something worthy to have won her” (308). She loves him, but feels he needs to do something heroic for their love to be perfection in her mind. What does this show about her?

A Holy War? Editha believes this a “sacred war…for liberty, and humanity” (309); George doesn’t seem sure of what he believes. George is humble and almost puts himself beneath Editha; she feels that “he was never so near slipping through her fingers as when he took that meek way” (309); is she naïve or manipulative? George seems to be fighting an internal battle with himself and whether he should allow his courage to be tested.

A Possibly Broken Engagement “He went away without kissing her, and she felt it a suspension of their engagement” (310). Editha’s mother hopes George will stay, but Editha wants him to go. Why? What does this show about her? Editha returns to her room and packs up everything George has given her, including her engagement ring. Her note says that “if [they] cannot be one in everything [they] had better be one in nothing” (310). She feels if he cannot lov his country about all that she can’t marry him, but she claims she will never marry anyone else.

A Decision Made She ironically wraps the package in red, white, and blue ribbon. She holds off on sending it because he had said he was going to think the matter over. George returns late at night and says for Editha to call him Captain. He has volunteered to fight and his peers elected him to the position. He tells her he is going to fight “the holy war ordained by the pocket Providence that blesses butchery” (311). Is he completely at ease with this? Before he leaves, Editha gives George the letter she wrote. She tells him to read it “if ever you doubt what you’ve done, or fear that I regret your having done it” (312).

A Moment Between Lovers “The other fellows will back down as soon as they see we mean it” (312). What does this suggest? George comes over the next morning and admits he had been drinking the night before. Editha makes him promise to never do it again because he “belong[s] to [his] country” and must stay “strong and well for your country’s sake” (313). George implies that he is doing this mainly for Editha’s sake. He still doesn’t 100% support this. He also admits that his mother won’t approve because of what his father experienced during the Civil War.

A Grieving Mother George makes Editha promise to write to his mother and help her should the worst happen. After the first major skirmish, the list of the dead has George’s name on it. Editha and her father go from New York to Iowa to see George’s mother. George’s mother somewhat blames Editha; “Yes, that letter of yours, that came back with his other things, left him free” (315). Editha feels that she was in the right and hasn’t done anything wrong.

An Idealist to the End George’s mother points out that Editha was living a fantasy where she didn’t understand what truly happens in a war. She is glad George died so he doesn’t have to live with the blood of others on his hands. George’s mother doesn’t feel that Editah has the right to wear black for George. Editha tells this story later and still doesn’t understand what George’s mother was trying to teach her. She remains idealistic and doesn’t see any fault in her thinking. In fact, she thinks that George’s mother “wasn’t quite in her right mind” and is “vulgar” (316).