'Cynical Miss Catherwaight' Summary

Miss Catherwaight is a woman who has made a collection of "dishonored honors"—medals of honor pawned by the persons they were awarded to. She tends to look down on the former owners of these medals for giving them away, until she finds a particular token in the shape of a heart. This token belonged to a young soldier who gave it to his sweetheart before he went off to war. The soldier was killed in action, and his sweetheart pawned the heart-shaped token to buy food. Miss Catherwaight is touched by the story behind this token, and it makes her question her own cynical outlook. She begins to realize that the people who pawn their medals of honor are not necessarily cowards or failures, but are often people who have made difficult choices in order to survive. Miss Catherwaight's collection of "dishonored honors" becomes a reminder of the sacrifices that people have made for their country, and it helps her to see the world in a more compassionate light.