The killer angels is a world acclaimed novel that was written by an author known as Michael Shaara. In the year 1975, it was granted the Pulitzer Prize for creative writing. It gives us in details the occurrences of the four days in the Battle of Gettysburg. This was during the American Civil War that occurred in the year 1863. At this time, troops that comprised of both the Union and Confederacy were at war in town called Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. This is a piece of story that is driven by disposition and narrated from the point of view of various heroes (Hartwig, 1996). The novel starts with a preamble that actually pace sets the panorama for the proceeding actions and is split into two sections. The first section defines two different kinds of armies. They are armies of Northern Virginia that are headed by Robert Lee and managed to go through Potomac which was located at Williamsport and attacked the Northern areas. All this occurred in the year 1863. The major objective of the attack was to dare the Union army into a war and defeat it. Towards the end of June that year, the Potomac army and Union army that had at least eighty thousand men decided to advance northward on the heels of the rebels who had somehow stopped at Gettysburg. In the next section, a description of the main characters is done. On the confederate side, Robert Edward Lee, James Longstreet, George Pinkett, Richard Ewell, Ambrose Power Hill, Lewis Armistead, Richard Brooke Garnett, J.E.B. Stuart, Jubal Early are mentioned. On the union side, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, John Buford, John Reynolds, George Gordon Meade, Winfield Scott Hancock are also named. The plot of the novel is creatively explained in a way that anyone can visualize through the event... ... middle of paper ... ...efer for use to a friend. In conclusion, it is imperative to observe that not many people could have foreseen the outcomes of the war. In fact, for many people who actually lived during the time that this war took place; the civil war to them was a thing that would just happen and end after a short while. The northerners on the other hand did not expect that the south would chose to put up a very spirited defense and the people from the south knew exactly the weaknesses of the northerners that they really felt they could face Washington and coerce the authorities to identify the confederacy. Sadly, both warring sides had an impractical outlook into the war which turned out to take a very long time that any of the factions had wanted it to last. Works Cited Hartwig, D. (1996). A Killer Angels Companion .London: Thomas Publications.
Shelby Foote's Shiloh is a novel about a real Civil War battle told from the point of view of a few common soldiers, both northern and southern, who fought there. Because he chose to depict the action from these points of view, he limits what can be said of the big picture. If one can ignore that big picture, the book works very well at showing the reader what the experience must have been like for individuals caught up in different parts of the fight. Yet needing to provide some of that picture, Foote has each character present background on specific generals and their actions leading up to Shiloh. This exposition is, for the most part, pretty clumsy and simply detracts from ...
In the end, I believe the war’s end results came down to the cultures of each side’s economy and the cultures in their military style. Obviously, the North had more of the advantage in resources than the South but the Confederates put up a good fight to conserve their way of life. The Civil War demonstrates how different cultures, economies, and their political strategies can affect how well we do in battle. Things can be accomplished when one army is well equipped and prepared with the right resources.
When a nation is divided, so are it’s people. The American Civil War demonstrates this because of the two divided sides: the union and confederacy. In The Killer Angles it is extremely evident that the people and nation are divided. The novel portrays the different perspectives and opinions of soldiers and commanding officers throughout the Battle of Gettysburg. In the novel The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, James Longstreet fought for glory, Robert E. Lee fought for his homeland, and Joshua Chamberlain fought for an ideal. First, we will evaluate Longstreet’s motives.
Crack! A lone rifle fires off in the distance on a rainy July morning. A lone soldier in the Calvary fires the shot that starts the bloodiest battle that ever takes place on United States soil. Michael Shaara's book The Killer Angels (1974) takes place during the Battle of Gettysburg and focuses on the thoughts of the individual commanders who led the troops. This thrilling novel covers the four days of this famous battle that took place in July 1863. Through his writing, the author uses point of view to tell a story about what the commanders on both sides of the field were thinking throughout the famous conflict. In doing this, Shaara also makes it so that all the characters are the protagonists, the person who is trying to accomplish a goal, at some point of the novel.
Have you ever wondered what life would be like in the Civil War? What soldiers went through? How they dealt with wounds and the medicine? Many of which lead to death because medicine was not advanced as it is now. Medicine has come a long way, since the days of the Civil War. In the book, The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara, explains the life and how it went for people in the war. There are 3 people: Robert E. Lee, John Buford, and Buster Kilrain. These 3 characters faced medical problems and with very little medicine specialties it was very difficult for their health.
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we alter and lose our freedoms, it will destroy ourselves,” said Abraham Lincoln. The novel Killer Angels as told by Michael Shaara, examines the three day Battle of Gettysburg through the eyes of several key people of the battle. The book looks at the battle and how each person viewed the events of the three day battle. General Robert E. Lee was a good general, but during this particular battle, he did not make the best of decisions, which led to the Confederate troops losing the war. The loss was a result of Lee’s own poor physical and emotional health, the welfare and conditions for the soldiers who fought for him as well as the weather that they were faced with and the conflict between
It also grants Longstreet visionary comprehension of the future when in actuality this is far from it. In the novel, Longstreet takes little blame for his treasonous actions in allegedly deliberately slowing Lee’s commands out of spite and in an attempt to voice his objection -- quickly departing after expressing his anger, disregarding that it spurred from his action, whereas, in real-life, controversy still surrounds the topic and detractors place an enormous amount of responsibility on the General’s shoulders. Creating a single link between the two, real and fictitious, Shaara is factual in his portrayal of Longstreet’s stubborn objection to Lee’s frontal attack on the Union’s left wing. Shaara portrays his ability to create a gripping and emotional story about the bloodbath of Gettysburg and the innocent lives lost, while also emphasizing his occupation to do just that. The entire story revolves around informing of the precise details he acquired, however, pathos is prominent and the reader must not forget that the novel is not -- and was not meant to be -- a textbook with little to no emotion. Therefore, the fabrication of characters to entice readers is justified. However, the amount of fabrication incorrectly details the cause of the
The Killer Angels is a historical fiction focusing on the conflict between the the Union and the Confederacy - specifically the battle of Gettysburg. The narrative that Michael Shaara weaves is one that attempts to tell the story of Gettysburg through the perspectives of the soldiers, generals, colonels, and lieutenants fighting in it. The story represents each side of the war fairly, and even goes into depth on why each side was fighting. Throughout the battle, the author writes from multiple different character’s perspectives. Shaara does not write any character as good or bad, only different in their beliefs. In fact, General Lee, the leader of the confederate army, was written to show how he was a wise and
For the Union, they were fighting for freedom, to keep the Union alive. Their drive was to keep the United States whole, too free slaves. For the Confederate, their drive was economic power, greed, to keep slavery. Many soldiers in the book would ask one another their Cause, most had one, and surprisingly some didn't. Those soldiers were there to follow orders, be the "good soldier", obey, and fight. Some were just lost, some fought for family, some for honor, some felt it was the right thing to do. General Lee said to General Longstreet, "You and
Rodman Philbrick used many historical facts to create a realistic adventure that took place during the civil war. One of the many historical facts incorporated into thew book was... "Then Colonel Chamberlain's voice booms out, louder than the crack of artillery. "Charge!" he commands, lifting high his sword". This has a few historical facts woven int6o it. One, Colonel Chamberlainm was the leader of this regiment, and two, in the battle of Gettysburg the leader shouts "charge"! from the top of the hill. That is shown in this quote. Overall, Rodman Philbrick did a fabulous job using historical facts to make this a realistic, and fictious story.
The Union, however, put up a fierce struggle to preserve the country. If the Civil War was to be a war of attrition, the North had the upper hand because of its large population, industrialization, raw materials, railroad mileage, and navy. But if the war was short lived, the South had the strong advantages of knowledge of the land with a friendly population, superior commanders, an adaptable lifestyle, and a passion for “The Cause”. It took four years (1861-1865) before the Civil War was resolved. The first two years proved to be successful for the CSA, but as the war dragged on and after the battle of Gettysburg, the tide turned in favor of the North.
The novel takes place during a battle over the period of four days in Virginia, during the American Civil War.
Why did the southern states believe they could win the civil war? The southern states, known as the Confederacy were very confident going into this war that they could successfully defend their rights' and their way of life. They had many reasons for being so confident. First, the southern leaders were sure the north was not going to have a full-scale military conflict. They thought that a compromise and peace agreement could be reached after a short period of fighting. Second, the south was going to fight a defensive war. Third, the southern lifestyle made them familiar with firearms and horseback riding. Therefore they would be better soldiers than the northerners. Fourth, the south had a great source of wealth in its cotton exports and felt they would be able to fund the war. Last, the south thought that France and Britain would come to its aid. The south didn't want to defeat the north they wanted a compromise. Therefore, the north would not have the authority to govern them. The south did not have to win the war, it just had to keep the north from winning. On March 7, 1861 Jefferson Davis selected John Forsyth, A. B. Roman, and Martin J. Crawford to represent the Confederacy in a meeting with Lincoln's administration. Not trying two overpower anyone, the Confederate leaders said they simply wanted to be left alone. The Confederates thought to defend its region from being taken over and to keep its armies from destruction they would have to fight a very well planned out defensive war. The Confederate armies did not have to invade the north to win that kind of war. They need only to endure long enough to force the north to the decision that th...
The Civil War, which took place 1861 through 1865, was a war of great turmoil, controversy and inner conflict. It shaped the future lives of Americans and was a huge decider in the government that we all know today. The Civil War was not only a turning point in American history, but it was also a benchmark in the abolishment of slavery and the unionization of the country. During the seven years of the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most significant battles as it marked the turning point of the War in terms of its victor and it also painted the landscape of our country’s future.
The Civil War that took place in the United States from 1861 to 1865 could have easily swung either way at several points during the conflict. There is however several reasons that the North would emerge victorious from this bloody war that pit brother against brother. Some of the main contributing factors are superior industrial capabilities, more efficient logistical support, greater naval power, and a largely lopsided population in favor of the Union. Also one of the advantages the Union had was that of an experienced government, an advantage that very well might have been one of the greatest contributing factors to their success. There are many reasons factors that lead to the North's victory, and each of these elements in and amongst themselves was extremely vital to the effectiveness of the Northern military forces. Had any one of these factors not been in place the outcome of the war could have been significantly different, and the United States as we know it today could be quite a different place to live.