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The Killer Angels is a historical novel that recounts the battle of the Civil War, specifically focusing on the Battle of Gettysburg. Set from June 29 to July 3, 1863 and told from the point of view of several soldiers and commanding officers from both sides, Michael Shaara effectively illustrates the sentiments behind the war that tore America in two, from the strategic battle plans to the emotional hardships endured by all. The book opens with a Confederate spy as he made his way through the Union lines on the night of June 29, 1863 toward Confederate General Robert E. Lee bearing news of the Army of the Potomac as they crossed paths in the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The days after follow the various Union and Confederate regiments as they regained their wits about them after the previous Battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. Marching onward toward Gettysburg, where the most deciding battle of the Civil War would take place. As he immerses his audience into combat with the soldiers, Shaara demonstrates the more emotional aspects of war by highlighting the personal lives of the men fighting. For example, when Shaara reveals the pasts of James Longstreet and Lewis Armistead’s, I started to picture them as the men that they were and not as soldiers out for blood. After suffering a devastating loss of three of his children to fever, Longstreet is tossed into battle. In Armistead’s case, he not only suffered the loss of his wife, but also of a friend fighting on the Union side, General Winfield Scott Hancock. Shaara saves his readers a front row seat to the inner turmoil of General Chamberlain regarding his hindering duty as a soldier clashes with his duty to family as he strived to serve the Union as well as protec... ... middle of paper ... ... concludes simply with a rolling of the credits, so to speak. The Afterword of the novel lists the accomplishments and significance of the main players that occurred after the battle of Gettysburg. While Gettysburg may be in our nation’s past, it continues to remind Americans of the bridges that were crossed and burned in order to get to where we are now. Shaara solidifies the ideals fought for out on the field of battle in Gettysburg. They serve as the white angel of Cemetery Ridge that Buford saw before the first day of battle: we may lose sight of them as they become overshadowed by many other symbols and markers, but they are as solid as stone and will never pass away. These truths and ideals watch over the procession of time as it passes, and events as they come and go, in order to remind us of the fact that what has been will always be a part of what remains.
In 1863, the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was awoken to the beginning of what was to be the turning point of the Civil War for the Union. It began as a small skirmish, but by its end it involved so many Americans to which would become one of the bloodiest battles ever taken place on Unites States soil. The Battle of Gettysburg was not only a turning point in the war.
The battle of Gettysburg occurred over three hot summer days, July 1 to July 3, 1863, around the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It began as a meeting engagement, but by its end involved approximately 170,000 Americans. The battle is considered to be the turning point in the American Civil War and is one of the most studied battles in American history. The events that took place at Gettysburg had a tremendous impact on the outcome of the Civil War and the fate of the United States. It is far easier for us in the present than it was for those at Gettysburg, to look back and determine the path that the leaders should have taken.
The American Civil War between the North and the South was one of the most significant wars in American History, and the most destructive war ever fought on American soil. The war began in 1861 and ended in 1865. On July 1, 1863, the Confederate army and the Union army fought in the largest battle of the American Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg. Throughout Michael's Shaara's novel, "The Killer Angels," the North and south had many differing attitudes toward the war, such as the overall cause, opposing amongst each individual throughout the book. The North and the South both demonstrate their motives for taking part in the war, while their attitudes towards each other and their beliefs of the events that will occur after the war differ greatly.
The Killer Angles The novel The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara depicts the story behind one of bloodiest and highly significant battle of the American Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg consisted of 51,000-casualties between the Union and Confederate army forces. Mainly focused on letters, journal entries, and memoirs, Shaara tells the story of Gettysburg by using characters from both sides of the “spectrum”, the Confederate and Union army. These characters grasp the revolving points of view regarding the impending days of the war. Countless numbers of those views develop from characters throughout the novel. The characters include the Confederates own General Lee, General Longstreet; the Unions own Colonel Chamberlain, and soldiers from
Shaara’s novel Killer Angels shows the battle of Gettysburg through a number of unique viewpoints. Shaara offers a more intimate view of the battle than other Civil War novels. A reader can see the battle through the eyes of both Union and Confederate leaders. Through the novel the reader is able to see why each character is fighting and what they hope to gain from the war. Readers can also see the effect that the war has on the different characters. I will examine the war through the eyes of several different characters from Shaara’s novel.
The first scene takes place at Antietam Creek, Maryland Sept. 17, 1862 at The Battle of Tatum. The Union marches on foot lead by Shaw, only to be bombarded with cannon shots and gunfire. After the battle he was taken to a hospital where he heard Lincoln would be issuing an emancipation proclamation to free the slaves. At a house party afterwards, Robert sees Gov. Andrew and meets Fredrick Douglas who tells him there is to be an all black regiment of which he would like Robert to be colonel. He asks his friend Kevin to assist him in leading this group. On November 27, 1862, black volunteer soldiers are brought to Readville Camp in Massachusetts. There we meet the main characters of the 54th Mass. Regiment. Rawlins is the future Sergeant Major and is a father figure to the group. Trip seems to have an angry personality who takes his frustration out on others. Thomas, a childhood friend of Shaw’s, is well educated and has not been exposed to harsh reality of the slavery scene.
O’Brien, Tim. “How To Tell a True War Story.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2003. p. 420-429.
In James McPherson’s novel, What They Fought For, a variety of Civil War soldier documents are examined to show the diverse personal beliefs and motives for being involved in the war. McPherson’s sample, “is biased toward genuine fighting soldiers” (McPherson, 17) meaning he discusses what the ordinary soldier fought for. The Confederacy was often viewed as the favorable side because their life style relied on the war; Confederates surrounded their lives with practices like slavery and agriculture, and these practices were at stake during the war. On the other hand, Northerners fought to keep the country together. Although the Civil War was brutal, McPherson presents his research to show the dedication and patriotism of the soldiers that fought and died for a cause.
In Joseph Plumb Martin’s account of his experiences in the Revolutionary War he offers unique insight into the perspective of a regular soldier, which differs from the views of generals and leaders such as popular characters like George Washington. Martin’s narrative is an asset to historical scholarship as a primary source that gives an in-depth look at how life in the army was for many young men during the War for Independence. He described the tremendous suffering he experienced like starvation and privation. He did not shy away from describing his criticism of the government who he believes did not adequately care for the soldiers during and after the war. While he may be biased because of his personal involvement as a soldier, he seems to relate accounts that are plausible without embellishment or self-aggrandizement. Overall, “A Narrative of A Revolutionary Soldier” is a rich source of information providing an overview of military experience during the war.
Using the title of the book to say that the soldiers are killer “angels” is an excellent description. They were people who fought for a cause, which was not always understood by some. In the introduction of the novel, soldiers from Lee’s army are described as most...
John Keegan, the author of “The Face of Battle” is allowing the reader to view different perspective of history, from the eyes of the soldier. Although by his own account, Keegan acknowledges, “I have never been in a battle. And I grow increasingly convinced that I have very little idea of what a battle can be like.” Keegan scorns historians for pointing the finger of failure after an evolution occurs and not examining the soldier’s point of view while the battle is transpiring.
The novel Killer Angels by Michael Shaara describes the events of the Civil War, however, the book is only partially historically accurate. Shaara changes descriptions of events and people in the Civil War, without attempting to completely make it inaccurate. Many of these changes do not influence the version of history that actually took place; however, some do.
Tragic Analysis of Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, is an illustrative analysis of the AIDS epidemic in the United States during the 1980s. The play is split into two separate pieces entitled Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, which initially focus on the gay couple of Prior Walter and Louis Ironson before panning out into several complex storylines that often intersect. Due to the nature of its plot, Angels in America does not focus on a single tragic protagonist, but rather shadows the separate individual relationships between people in the community through their destruction and eventual renaissance, similar to Elizabethan drama. Over the course of the work, the plot of Angels in America parallels the characteristics of modern tragedy, propelled by the drama of ordinary people’s day-to-day lives. As such, Angels in America would best be analyzed through the utilization of Arthur Miller’s essay, “Tragedy and the Common Man” based on its outline of the definition of tragedy.
The Killer Angel The Battle of Gettysburg fought in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania from July 1 to July 3, 1863, is considered the bloodiest battle in American history. It’s also considered the most important battle that took place during the American Civil war, because after the Battle of Gettysburg the south never really recovers, resulting in them to never won another major battle the rest of the war. Well behind every great battle there is a great leader, whether it’s one that brings utter chaos or one that sincerely wants a change. In the novel The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, a historical fictional story of the battle of Gettysburg
First, I used participles and infinitives. I did not include any gerunds because he does not commonly use them throughout the whole book. I also included lots of imagery because a majority of The Killer Angels is compacted with imagery and descriptive words. I decided to use similes and a couple metaphors. Shaara does not keep a consistent length for his sentences, so some of my sentences are short and simple while others are long and filled with imagery. I also used one ellipsis, one emdash in the dialogue, and lots of commas. I explained the thoughts of General Robert E. Lee in more depth than General Grant. My narrative was in chronological order as well, starting with a “flashback” about the letters previously exchanged between the two men before the surrender. Then, I continued with the surrender and the feelings and setting. Finally, some of the narrative, specifically in dialogue, was in fragments because some of Shaara’s writing was chopped up. Overall, I incorporated some of the stylistic elements from The Killer Angels into my narrative of the surrender of the