Introduction
Finding examples of confrontation of realism and romanticism in literary works can be complicated. Authors often focus on one of the two views to emphasize the literary work’s theme. Furthermore, there is a limited range of themes in which the implementation of both views can convey the author’s idea to readers and convey an essential intrinsic message. William Dean Howells’s short story “Editha ” presents a rare example of a work in which the author’s use of realist and romantic literary devices is integrated into the plot to convey an anti-war message to readers.
Realistic Portrayal of War Versus Romantic Ideals of Editha
In modern society, where technology and media can fully reflect the horrors of war, war is perceived as a terrible act that causes many negative consequences for the global population. However, in Howells’ time, participation in war represented an act of courage, as it was heavily associated with protecting the nation’s interests and safety. In the short story “Editha,” the main characters hold opposing views on the upcoming war and the meaning behind enlisting in it. Through the main characters’ discussion, Howell questions the meaning of romanticizing war, expressing an unusual and progressive opinion for the time.
Next, the author points out the naivety and immaturity of Editha’s views from the very beginning of the story by explaining her motives. Thus, Editha perceives George’s enlistment in the war as an act of courage dedicated to her. Hiding behind the pretexts of the “glorious” and “holy” war, Editha manipulates George into enlisting, hoping that his heroism will make George more worthy of Edith’s love (Howells 4).
The author emphasizes Editha’s distorted view of war when he notes that she wrote letters to him “such as she imagined he could have wished, glorifying and supporting him” (Howells 6). Therefore, by explaining that Editha acted as she believed was right in the situation, the author demonstrates the character’s complete detachment from reality. The reality breaks in Editha’s world through the figure of George’s mother, who explains to her that the war is a deadly battle between innocent people, where everyone is forced to kill or be killed. However, even after George’s death, Editha continues to live her ordinary life built on romantic delusions and communicates with people with similar distorted views of reality.
Furthermore, while the confrontation between opposing views primarily concerns Editha and George’s discussion, the author adds several layers to the debate by integrating the opinions of other characters. Thus, George’s mother points out that it is a common mistake for “girls” and “women” to send men to war expecting that “they’ll come marching back” (Howells 8). However, in the end, mothers of soldiers will bear the consequences of the mistakes their daughters and granddaughters make. The author’s distinction of mothers’ perspectives on war also creates tension between young people’s romantic perception of war and older people’s realistic views. Therefore, the story’s anti-war message explains the tragic consequences of maintaining the distorted romantic perception of war in the deaths of millions of young and innocent people.
Conclusion
In summary, some literary works demonstrate how the author skillfully weaves realist and romantic literary techniques into the storyline. Howell’s short story “Editha” offers a significant example of how the direct opposition of romantic and realistic views on a single theme enables the author to convey the story’s internal message effectively to readers. Thus, the story explains how romanticism associated with the gloriousness and holiness of war leads to the deaths of young and innocent people.
Work Cited
Howells, William Dean. Editha. Harper and Brothers, 1907.