When we hear the word “rebellion,” we tend to imagine a courageous and intelligent revolutionary who does not blindly conform to the majority, but does what he deems right and just. A rebel will do whatever it takes to create the world they want to see. This may be an admirable image, but it is not always the case. Very often, rebellion results from selfish and unpretentious desires. Rebellion is not only synonymous with independence and genius; it is also linked to immaturity and ignorance. This is evident in “Editha” by William Dean Howells, “A&P” by John Updike, the Ovid play “Metamorphosis” and “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas. In “Editha,” Howells uses exceptional imagery to tell the story of an ordinary young couple. Editha, a bold, demanding and stubborn woman, wants her fiancé, George, to fight in the Spanish-American War of 1898. George, an enigmatic pacifist, was raised to see the war as a brutal monster created by the man. Editha, a hopeless romantic, wants George to serve his country in order to be “her hero” (Howells 216). After much thought, George decides to rebel against his own beliefs in order to conform to a woman's standards on something she knows nothing about. George may be going against his family's mantra, but not for a noble cause. He does it simply to please his young fiancée. He blindly declares, “When I disagree with you, I should doubt myself” (Howells 216). Because of his madness, George is killed in a war that he didn't agree with in the first place. In this case, rebellion is not wise. It is also unwise to quit your job to try to impress a group of beautiful young women. This is the scenario presented by Updike...... middle of paper...... parents' wishes. We must not follow the majority if it is cruel, unjust or undesirable, but we must not rebel without reasonable grounds. An individual must follow his desires, but he must first consult his own intellect. Works Cited Howells, William Dean. “Editha.” Nash, Quentin Miller and Julie. Connections: Literature for composition. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008. 215-224. Ovid. “Metamorphoses”. Nash, Quentin Miller and Julie. Connections: Literature for composition. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008. 393-395. Thomas, Dylan. “Don’t go easy on that good night.” Nash, Quentin Miller and Julie. Connections: Literature for composition. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008. 303. Updike, John. “A&P.” Nash, Quentin Miller and Julie. Connections: Literature for composition. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008. 244-249.