The story “Editha” by William Dean Howells and the poem “Reconciliation” by Walt Whitman are part of a true “national literature.” They are both told in a way that only we as Americans could ever understand. They speak of war in all of its glory, and they speak of all of the pain left behind.“Editha” is a story about a woman who loves her country so much that she would be willing to give up anyone who does not feel as she does. Her fianc George was not enthusiastic about the war. To George the war was about senseless bloodshed, but to Editha it was about taking pride in a country that she loved. She told George, “I call it a sacred war. A war for liberty and humanity, if ever there was one”(Howells 363). Editha could not understand how George or anyone could not see the importance of the war. Because of George’s lack of enthusiasm for the war Editha writes him a letter and says, “But the man I marry must love his country first of all”(365). These words from Editha show how much she believed in her country.Editha was not alone many felt this way. The war was a sign of a better life for all if victory could be had. George did fight in the war and like so many other young men who went to war, lost his life. Editha was a symbol of what America stood for and what America meant to so many people who could only dream of having the opportunity to live here. George was a symbol of all the young men who fought for this country to make it what it is today. They fought for a country they believed in. They fought for us, and for our freedom. This story shows the greatness on which this country was founded. Nobody except Americans could understand the dedication to a country that today, stands strong because of the love that the people felt for the land they lived on. Howells tried to show the depth of that love through Editha and George, which makes this a...
