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Editha

by William Dean Howells (excerpt)



After George Gearson is killed in the Spanish-American War, his fiancée Editha travels to visit his grieving mother. Mrs. Gearson, who opposed the war from the beginning, confronts Editha about her role in pressuring George to enlist.



"No, you didn't expect him to get killed," Mrs. Gearson repeated in a voice which was startlingly like George's again. "You just expected him to kill someone else, some of those foreigners, that weren't there because they had any say about it, but because they had to be there, poor wretches-conscripts, or whatever they call 'em. You thought it would be all right for my George, your George, to kill the sons of those miserable mothers and the husbands of those girls that you would never see the faces of." The woman lifted her powerful voice in a psalm-like note. "I thank my God he didn't live to do it! I thank my God they killed him first, and that he ain't livin' with their blood on his hands!"



What is Howells's tone in this passage, and what is he criticizing?


AHowells's tone is disapproving of Editha's romantic ideas about heroism and patriotism that ignore the reality of war
BHowells's tone is sympathetic toward Editha because she is young and didn't understand the consequences of war
CHowells's tone is critical of Mrs. Gearson for being unpatriotic and disrespectful to soldiers who died for their country
DHowells's tone is neutral and objective, simply presenting two different perspectives on war without judgment

Verified Answer :

Final answer:

Howells's tone in 'Editha' critiques Editha's romanticized views of war and heroism by highlighting the harsh realities through Mrs. Gearson's grief. The passage emphasizes the moral complexities of war that are often ignored by those who glorify it. Overall, Howells seeks to challenge the naive perceptions surrounding patriotism and the cost of conflict.


Explanation:

Analysis of Tone in Howells's 'Editha'

In the excerpt from William Dean Howells's story Editha, the author's tone is clearly disapproving of Editha's romantic notions surrounding war and heroism. Through the dialogue of Mrs. Gearson, Howells critiques the societal tendency to glorify war without understanding its brutal realities. Mrs. Gearson's powerful statement highlights her grief and her opposition to the war, emphasizing that Editha and others like her fail to acknowledge the tragic consequences their beliefs can have on real lives. She suggests that Editha envisioned George as a hero but disregarded the grave possibility that he could be killed, thus underlining Howells's criticism of the naïve patriotism that often surrounds discussions of war.

Furthermore, Mrs. Gearson's reflection on George's potential actions—aiding in the death of innocent foreign sons and husbands—serves to illustrate the profound moral complexity of war that Editha seems to overlook. Howells's tone reflects a broader commentary on the romanticization of war and a plea for a more realistic understanding of its implications.


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