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Michael Shaara's Killer Angels is a novel about the Battle of Gettysburg, which took place during the Civil War. In the novel, Shaaras divides each chapter by general, in which the reader can see the generals viewpoints on the war. It also gives the reader an idea of what emotions they are feeling towards their men and other generals and also what are their strategies on succeeding in defeating the enemy. I enjoyed reading Killer Angels. Shaara's format of writing his book was interesting. Reading this novel, I could actually picture what was going on during the battles.
The book is an entertaining way of learning about such an important event in American History. One thing that I enjoyed most about the novel was Shaara's way of using symbolism to describe the different scenes in the novel. I feel that music plays a big role in this book. It gave the army an adventurous feeling such as the song Bonny Blue Flag. Other songs played by the bands are reminders of happier times, past friendships, and splits between friends and family during the war. General Armistead of the Confederacy often mentions one lyric that came from the song Kathleen Mavourneen which was It may be for years, and it may be for ever.
The lyric symbolizes his situation. It makes him think about the death of his wife who he will never see again, and about his friend General Hancock, which it may be years before he ever sees him again. Another point of symbolism was the rain at the end of the novel. After Chamberlain finishes talking with his brother Tom, he looks up into the rainy, dark sky.
A storm had come flooded with lightning and hard rain. The rain is a symbol of life and rebirth. As the valleys floods, it washed away the blood and the evidence of death during the long battle. It cleansed the earth giving way to a new beginning. Killer Angels describes the struggle of Man vs. Man.
The Union was fighting for the independence of slavery, while the Confederacy was fighting for the disunity of the north. The Union army was very different than the Confederate army. The Union army had soldiers from different religions, ethnic backgrounds, and different customs, while the Confederate soldiers had similar backgrounds, religious beliefs, and customs. Even though both armies were very different, they did have one thing in common, they both were fighting for what they felt was the best for their country. Shaaras illustrates in his novel how much religion is important during the era of the Civil War.
Praying for example is shown as a sign of faith in God to all people. Most of the generals prayed to be protected and to be successful in battle. During the last few chapters, Armistead feels that there was nothing he could do to change the outcome of the battle. All he could think of was how everything was in Gods hands. The title of the novel The Killer Angels also has to do with religion. During Chamberlains childhood, he says a quote of Shakespeare to his father that was What a piece of work is man in action how like an angel his fathers response was how that angel must be a murdering one.
This is proof that the men in war could be considered hypocrites. Although most men had a strong belief in God, they did not realize that killing was an immortal sin. This shows how God can be questioned in a situation during that time, and even in present day. In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this book to someone who is eager in learning about the Civil war and about the Battle of Gettysburg. In my opinion, Shaara's lesson in the novel is that to learn a lesson, one must battle.
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Research essay sample on Lessons Of War In The Novel Killer Angels
