What will you do if your girlfriend asks you to give your life for your country? The first thing I will do is pick up my cell phone to call my family doctor to set up an appointment to check my ears and make sure they are working well, or I can put on a very emotional face to ask him : “Are you serious? ? " Most people wouldn't want to see the person they love go to a place where they could die. In the short story "Editha" by William Dean Howells, the main character is an unusual woman, Editha, who has her own perfect ideals and pushes them to her lover, George, to ask him to fight in the Spanish-American War. In the story, Howells not only brought his anti-war message about the dangers of war, but also brought him. satirizes the governments of the United States who have stupid ideas about why to go to war, Editha's personalities are irrational patriotism, an understanding of selfish romanticism, and unrealistic ideas about war. Editha is guilty of exaggerated irrational patriotism to push George into war. She believes that there is no question of evil since the war has come. The people have no choice between good or evil. because it is the decision of our government that must be the right one. No matter how much the war costs us, we must uphold our patriotism. At first, Editha abandons all her ideals of duty and blind devotion to her country in order to persuade George to go to war even though his conscience condemns war. Howells did not mention other main reasons to fight for the country. Does this mean we can use our love for our country to kill other foreigners who also love their country? Then the new definition of patriotism appears as using love to kill. Editha's patriotism reflects the way people use patriotism to push other people into war because they believe war is necessary. Looking at the wars of the past, are we protecting our country and are we truly patriotic? Editha's romantic idea for war is that he who loves must show her that he is capable of being a hero to her. When George announces that there is war, Editha surprises him and the readers by saying "how glorious" (298).