Which two lines of text in this excerpt from William Dean Howells's "Editha" demonstrate the author’s opposition to conventional

Question

3 months ago

9

Which two lines of text in this excerpt from William Dean Howells's "Editha" demonstrate the author’s opposition to conventional

ideas of patriotism?
"No, you didn't expect him to get killed," Mrs. Gearson repeated in a voice which was startlingly like George's again. "You just expected him to kill someone else, some of those foreigners, that weren't there because they had any say about it, but because they had to be there, poor wretches—conscripts, or whatever they call 'em. You thought it would be all right for my George, your George, to kill the sons of those miserable mothers and the husbands of those girls that you would never see the faces of." The woman lifted her powerful voice in a psalm-like note. "I thank my God he didn't live to do it! I thank my God they killed him first, and that he ain't livin' with their blood on his hands!" She dropped her eyes which she had raised with her voice, and glared at Editha. "What you got that black on for?" She lifted herself by her powerful arms so high that her helpless body seemed to hang limp its full length. "Take it off, take it off, before I tear it from your back!"

English

2 answers:

Naddik [7.5K] · Answer 1 · 2026-02-20T23:23:25+03:00

Answer: 1.) "You thought he would be taking the life of someone else, perhaps those foreigners who had no control over their situation but were forced to be there, unfortunate souls—enlisted, or however they term them.

2.) "I am grateful to my God that he didn't have to carry out such an act! I am thankful that they eliminated him first, sparing him from living with their blood staining his hands!"

Bond [7.5K] · Answer 2 · 2026-02-20T23:24:20+03:00

Answer:

"You just expected him to kill someone else, some of those foreigners, that weren't there because they had any say about it, but because they had to be there, poor wretches—conscripts, or whatever they call 'em"

These lines reflect the author's strong disapproval of the conventional views of patriotism, displaying compassion for the unfortunate foreigners who could do nothing and were likely to be victims.