Journal #15

1. Write a sentence that summarizes the story’s overall message, and provide three direct quotes from the story that best illustrate this message.

The message of the passge is that living the life of Editha does, which is living in the ideal rather than in reality, can be a very dangerous and detrimental thing to your life.

“It isn’t this war alone; though this seems peculiarly wanton and needless; but it’s every war –so stupid; it makes me sick. Why shouldn’t this thing have been settled reasonably?”

"I shall always love you, and therefore I shall never
marry any one else. But the man I marry must love
his country first of all”

“He told me he had asked you to come if he got killed. You didn’t expect that, I suppose, when you sent him.”

“To take the part that her whole soul willed him to take, for the completion of her ideal of him

2. What tactics does Editha use to make George believe as she does about the war?

Edith makes it known that her opinion is correct as she attempts to argue with George, telling him that it is ordained by the providence and is a "holy war". George ultimately doubts himself when Edith sends him a letter with her engagement ring enclosed, and all the while was compelling and threatening him to go to war. She states that they must agree on everything to be together and that tere is no greater honor than serving in the army. George finally is persuaded to go to war and listens to her.

3. Is there ever a time in which Editha truly understands what she has done? Does she ever experience an epiphany?


I believe Editha does have an understanding of what a terrible thing she did when she found out that George had died. She truly mourns his loss and vistits the mother of George as he asked even though she was ultimately scorned and rebuked for sending him to war. At first she really does not understand her actions, but at the end she has an epiphany that brings her back to the ideal world. The person who Editha was talking too agreed that George's mother was wrong for saying those hurtful words to her. After that moment, Editha got out of self-pity and began her life again.

Journal #14

“Richard Cory“ (497)

In the town, the people view Richard as a perfect man. He is always looked up to by the people and is always admired. His wealth shows through his intensive schooling in everything a good gentleman should have. On the contrary, this is ironic because even though the people came to believe he had as perfect life, but he actually killed himself. Though everyone thinks it, it really isn't perfect because he kills himself and has problems that no one can see from the outside. A theme of this is that you cannot judge people from the outside and think that they are the same on the inside and that no amount of money will every make you truly "happy". His name sounds very similar to "rich core" which is totally opposite to his life, and is contrasting reality and his ideal life.

“Miniver Cheevy” (497)

He dreams of being born in a different era, is fond of knights and romantic stories and enjoys the days when people rode horses and used swords. He dreamed for an ideal life, but reality came for him and he became a drunk. He desired to have a life like a person in adventure novels, cursing his life in the process and destroying it as well. His name is similar to "minimal achiever", and his life is very empty as he lives in these "stories", not adding anything in his physical life.

“Mr. Flood’s Party” (498)

Mr. Flood is only having a party for himself, which is obviously not how a party is meant to be. He is very old, and since all of his friends are gone, he drinks alcohol so that he can have "friends" in himself. When drunk, Mr. Flood is able to have a party within himself with his "friends" and always lives in the past. Mr. Flood is attempting to live his ideal life by drinking and pretending to live in the past, but the reality is that he is just a very lonely drunk.