Roa 1

Giovanni Roa

Prof. Daniels

ENG-005-L01

6 September 2023

Realism Essay Final Draft

American literature has encountered various changes throughout the existence of the

United States. Many of these changes reflect the overall attitude and perspective of society at the

time. An example of this type of change is reflected in the Realism literary period in American

literature. Different aspects define Realism in American literature, which often ties back to a

reaction against Romanticism. According to “Realism in American Literature,” Realism is

defined as a representation of reality regarding the themes and characteristics present in the

narrative (Donna M. Campbell). Beginning around the time of the Civil War and concluding near

the beginning of the twentieth century, Realism impacted writers to write their fictional works in

ways that encompassed reality and represented America from various perspectives. Many

Americans began to lose their interest in Romanticism after being presented with the reality and

horrors of war. Overall, the transition from Romanticism to Realism reflected a change in

American society that began to spread awareness of the issues of society, such as war and racial

discrimination. With many of these issues of society beginning to be addressed, many American

authors began to present many of their perspectives at the time through their writings. The writer

William Dean Howells reflects many of these ideas through his story “Editha,” because the story

features themes on the glorification of war, its relation to yellow journalism, and the lack of

purpose that many of these conflicts possess.

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Many stories began transitioning to exploring the emotions of real life over the

glorification of nature. This type of narrative is found in written works, such as “Editha,” which

points out many of the issues relating to the glorification of war. Written by William Dean

Howells, the story focuses on a woman’s patriotic beliefs in contrast to the gruesome realities

that war creates. With further context, the story takes place on the eve of the Spanish-American

War, when many American citizens had a desire to enter way against Spain. This desire to enter

the conflict sees Editha picture her fiancé George enlisting in the army so he can be the “ideal”

version of him for her. This naivety stemming from Editha ultimately leads to the grim truth of

war being revealed when George instantly dies on the battlefield and what it means for society

(Writing the Nation). This sense of patriotism and a desire to engage in conflict is reflective of

American society at the time. Tensions between the United States and Spain were at an all-time

high before the outcome of the Spanish-American War. With the sinking of the U.S. battleship

Maine exploded and sunk in Cuba, under mysterious circumstances, many American citizens

began to immediately point to Spain. Many newspaper firms began to produce articles that

portrayed the Spanish Empire in a negative light and held them accountable for the sinking of the

Maine. This form of distortion in newspaper articles is known as yellow journalism.

Within “Editha” there are many examples where the beliefs of characters can be

correlated to the presence of yellow journalism in the media. Before going into specific

examples, it is important to define many of the basic characteristics of yellow journalism.

According to Dailyhistory.org, yellow journalism is described as a style of newspaper reporting

that emphasizes aspects of sensationalism over facts and reality (Dailyhistory.org). This form of

documentation is largely used to present the opposing side in an undesirable light to help fuel

patriotism amongst the public. Regarding the use of yellow journalism and its connection to
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Realism, many aspects of the war were largely exaggerated to better fit the image that many

viewed the conflict as. However, this depiction largely led to many figures being construed or

misrepresented. An example is how the U.S. Maine sank, which was initially believed to have

sunk through bombing, only for it to be revealed that a mine explosion led to the destruction of

the ship (Dailyhistory.org). This lack of proper acknowledgment of the situation is a prime

example of how impactful yellow journalism is in fueling the American public's reaction to the

Spanish-American War. Looking back on the reading, Editha is a prime example of someone

under the impact of yellow journalism. She has this detailed perspective on the impact of the war

and how she believes it to be an amazing opportunity to create her ideal relationship. In “Editha,”

she states, “What a thing it is to have a country that can’t be wrong, but if it is, is right, anyway!”

(Writing the Nation). This description showcases how she is relatively convinced that the United

States is completely in the right and that there is only one correct side in the war. However, this

twisted interpretation of events and idealistic concept of reality only leads her to be isolated from

others who are distasteful towards her opinions. Overall, this example shows the impact that

yellow journalism contributed to fueling the outbreak of the Spanish-American War and

demonstrates how many are quick to engage in a conflict with little reasoning. While yellow

journalism played a significant impact in the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, many of the

elements surrounding the sinking of the U.S. Maine demonstrate other themes of the story.

The knowledge that the U.S. Maine was sunk from an issue in one of the mine

compartments, led to the realization that there was little to no reason for many of the events in

the Spanish-American War to take place (Dailyhistory.org). The idea that people are fighting for

a cause that has no purpose is reflected in “Editha,” as Willam Dean Howells depicts how the

outbreak of war leads many to realize the consequences that stem from it, as well as what is at
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stake (Writing the Nation). In “Editha,” this can be shown through George’s mother describing

the consequences of war. George’s mother states, “They think they’ll come marching back,

somehow, just as gay as they went,” (Writing the Nation). This form of dialogue that she

describes to Editha highlights the reality that many of the soldiers sent to war are likely never to

come back to their families. Many of these soldiers are either quick to perish or die later during

the conflict. This is straight to the point in demonstrating the harsh realities of war and in

showing the consequences of the glorification of these conflicts. This idea that many of these

soldiers are sent to die in a conflict that has little to no purpose represents the fragileness of life

and the foolishness of Editha for romanticizing an aspect of war. This is evident when Howells

depicts George’s mother scolding Editha for her streamlined views on war, which highlights

many of his views on the topic. Overall, many of these themes regarding the role of war in

society reflect the view of American society at the time, due to the romanticization of war that

blinded many atrocities and actions from them.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, many forms of American literature were

written to embrace many aspects of Realism over the concepts found in Romanticism. The story

“Editha” is a prime example of these aspects in many ways, due to the issues of romanticizing a

conflict found in the story. With the Spanish-American War being the main source of influence in

the setting of the story, Willam Dean Howells can properly spread the issues with people being

indifferent or ignorant of the romanticization of war. This form of romanticization also spread in

various forms of society, such as yellow journalism. These actions and concepts were present in

American society at the time while demonstrating the moral transition that many were

experiencing with ongoing conflicts. Therefore, “Editha” helps present many of the issues of
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American society because the story features themes that demonstrate the glorification of war and

the consequences that many of these perspectives have on society.

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Works Cited:

Berke, Amy, et al. Writing the Nation: A Concise Introduction to American Literature 1865 to

Present. University of North Georgia Press, 2015.

Campbell, Donna M. Realism in American Literature, 7 Sept. 2015,

public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/realism.htm.

Dailyhistory.org. “How Did Yellow Journalism Lead to the Spanish-American War.” How Did

Yellow Journalism Lead to the Spanish-American War - DailyHistory.Org, 23 Sept. 2021,

www.dailyhistory.org/How_did_Yellow_Journalism_lead_to_the_Spanish-

American_War#google_vignette.