SOURCE: "Arms in Love and War in Howells' 'Editha'," in Studies in Short Fiction, Vol. 24, No. 4, Fall, 1987, pp. 425-32.

In the following essay, Piacentino discusses the use of arm imagery in "Editha," and discovers parallels between Howells's story and George Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man.

War like love, nature, and death has inspired the imaginations of writers since the time of Homer. And as many other literary works focusing on war, William Dean Howells' oft-anthologized story "Editha" contrasts an idealistic view with a realistic one. On the idealistic side, the scenario has been rehearsed so many times that it has become a veritable stock situation: the conquering hero, courageous, victorious, and magnificent in his glory, an individual deserving of commendation because of his accomplishments on the battle front. As such, the war hero successfully eradicates the evil enemy and, therefore, performs a life-affirming service. The realistic perspective...