Extra Men by Blanche Colton Williams
Blanche Colton Williams’s study of Harrison Rhodes’s “Extra Men” examines the story as a symbolic war narrative rather than retelling it. Drawing on Rhodes’s statements about a remembered legend, his invention of Washington and the war, and his uncertainty about creative process, Williams identifies the central purpose as conveying that heroic dead support soldiers at the front. She argues that plot is deliberately secondary: a single incident carries the theme, while the meadow-grass miracle functions as corroborating detail. The analysis considers George Washington’s unnamed spirit, Mrs. Buchan’s narrative prominence and motivation, the roles of young Buchan and Al Fenton, the historically resonant setting, and the realistic atmosphere that makes the supernatural event persuasive.
By Blanche Colton Williams · First published 1919 · Genre: Literary Analysis, Literary Criticism, Non-Fiction · 531 words
First lines
STARTING POINT. "Somewhere I read in the summer of 1917 a reference to a legend of either a poor saint living as a hermit or a holy abbess (I can't really remember which) who entertained a company of horsemen one night. In the morning the field where the horses had grazed was untouched and the realization came that a troop of angels had been that way. I am sorry not to be more definite as to this source.
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Genres
- Literary Analysis — The section closely examines the story’s theme, plot function, characters, setting, and atmosphere.
- Literary Criticism — Williams evaluates how narrative elements support Rhodes’s intended symbolic meaning.
- Non-Fiction — It presents explanatory critical prose and quoted statements by the story’s author.
Tags
Blanche Colton Williams · Harrison Rhodes · Extra Men · symbolic war narrative · heroic dead · George Washington · supernatural suggestion · plot construction · Mrs. Buchan · setting and historical resonance · realistic atmosphere · authorial statements
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Extra Men is listed on Textopian as an essay by Blanche Colton Williams, dated 1919 CE.
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- Work type: Essay
- Author: Blanche Colton Williams
- Date: 1919 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Analysis, Literary Criticism, Non-Fiction
- Length: 531 words
- Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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