Free Essays on Howells “Editha“

, and he explained the war as breaking "the peace of the world" (Howells 268). The couple also discussed how God fit into the idea of war. Editha believed "God meant it to be war’ (Howells 270), while George seems unsure on God’s involvement. Before George left Editha’s porch to go home and think about it, he stated how he felt about war as of that moment: "I’d like to believe as you do. But, I don’t, now; I don’t, indeed. It isn’t th... Free Essays on Howell's â€Å"Edithaâ€Å" Free Essays on Howell's â€Å"Edithaâ€Å" In William Dean Howells’ "Editha", the title character is responsible for George’s death through her persistent and forceful support of war and his involvement in it. Editha’s ideals of war were very different than George’s, in many ways. They had different beliefs on the righteousness of war, and how it connects to their families’ values, God, and the very idea of killing another man. However, Editha influenced George enough to join the war effort, which winded up killing him after only a few weeks later. Editha had a very particular feeling toward war and she wanted greatly for her husband to be a part of the war effort, however, George did not agree with how Editha saw war and their feelings clash. The story opens with Editha sitting on her porch pondering weather to let George go to war. When she sees him approaching her house, she "decided that she could not let him stay"(Howells 268). She had an ideal of her husband being a hero, and if George were to go to war, he would fulfill that ideal. Editha explains, "she must put a guard upon herself against urging him to take, for the completion of her ideal of him" (Howells 268). Although she insisted that she did not want to influence him, she boosted the war in every way to show how much it meant to her. She inferred, rather than stated her opinion of what his position in the war should be. Editha described the war as "glorious"(Howells 268). George’s answer questioned her choice of words, and he explained th e war as breaking "the peace of the world" (Howells 268). The couple also discussed how God fit into the idea of war. Editha believed "God meant it to be war’ (Howells 270), while George seems unsure on God’s involvement. Before George left Editha’s porch to go home and think about it, he stated how he felt about war as of that moment: "I’d like to believe as you do. But, I don’t, now; I don’t, indeed. It isn’t th...

Around the World in 80 Days Review

'Around the World in 80 Days' Review Jules Vernes Around the World in Eighty Days is a rip-roaring adventure story set primarily in  Victorian England but spans the world following its protagonist Phileas Fogg. Written with a cosmopolitan and open view of the world, Around the World in Eighty Days is a brilliant tale. Vivid in its descriptions, Fogg, a cold, brittle man, who slowly shows that he does have the heart of an Englishman. The book wonderfully captures a spirit of adventure that was bubbling around the turn of the century and is impossible to put down. The Main Plot The story begins in London where the reader is introduced to an incredibly precise and controlled man by the name of Fogg. Fogg lives happily, although a little mysteriously, for no-one knows the true origin of his wealth. He goes to his gentlemans club every day, and it is there that he accepts a wager to travel around the world in eighty days. He packs his things and, along with his manservant, Passepartout he sets out on his journey. Early on in his voyage, a police inspector begins to trail him, believing Fogg is a bank robber. After a reasonably uneventful start, difficulties emerge in India when Fogg realities that a train line he was hoping to take has not been finished. He decides to takes an elephant instead. This diversion is fortunate in one way, for Fogg meets and saves an Indian woman from a forced marriage. On his journey, Fogg will fall in love with Aouda and, on his return to England will make her his wife. In the interim, however, Fogg faces a number of challenges, including losing Passepartout to a Yokohama circus and being attacked by Native Americans in the Midwest. During this incident, Fogg shows his humanity by going off personally to save his manservant, despite the fact that this could well cost him his bet. Finally, Fogg manages to get back onto British soil (albeit by leading a mutiny aboard a French steamer) and seemingly in enough time to win his bet. At this point, the police inspector arrests him, delaying him just long enough to lose the bet. He returns home saddened by his failure, but brightened by the fact that Aouda has agreed to marry him. When Passepartout is sent to arrange the wedding, he realizes that it is a day earlier than they think (by traveling East across the International date line they have gained a day), and so Fogg wins his bet. The Human Spirit of Adventure Unlike many of his more science-based fiction stories, Jules Vernes Around the World in Eighty Days is interested in the capabilities of technology in his own time. The things that human beings can achieve armed only with a sense of adventure and an exploratory spirit. It is also a brilliant dissection of what it is to be English in the time of empire. Fogg is a brilliantly drawn character, a man who is stiff-upper-lipped and precise in all his habits. However, as the novel goes on the icy man begins to thaw. He begins to place the importance of friendship and love above his usual concerns of reserve and punctuality. In the end, he is willing to lose his bet to help a friend. He doesn’t care about defeat because he has won the hand of the woman he loves. Although some would argue it doesnt have the great literary merit of some novels written around the same time, Around the World in Eighty Days certainly makes up for it with its vivid descriptions. The undoubtedly a classic story is peopled with characters who will be long remembered. It is a breathtaking roller-coaster ride around the world and a touching view of an older time. Filled with the thrill of adventure, Around the World in Eighty Days is a wonderful story, written with skill and no short order of panache.