Kyle Keck

AP Language Blended

Mrs. Norton

September 30, 2016

The Killer Angels:

The Killer Angels is a historical novel written by Michael Shaas. In it he uses blood

curling diction and emotional tone as he shows us some of the Civil Wars most iconic generals

and illustrates to us their internal state as the war goes on.

Through the use of third person narrative, we get to see many of the iconic heroes such as

Robert E. Lee and Sherman unfold from their point of view as the war rages on. Shaaras blood

curling diction as the spy, Harrison, for example is describing the routes of the Union Army to

General Longstreet, we see the General tiredness and stress as he looks over the details with the

spy. Longstreet nodded. He watched, he waited. Sorrel came with steaming coffee; the cup

burned Longstreet's fingers. (Sharaa, 10). Although he is tired, he is also alert and very ready

for this war to end. Not only does this show the attitude that most of the soldiers on both sides

had, it also showed the level of commitment to end the war. Sharra also goes on and talks about

how the war affected not just their mind but also why they were fighting the war.

Throughout most of the Civil War, both sides fought for different reasons. Some fought

for states rights, while others fought for equality and freedom for all. However, those these were

minor issues the major issue was slavery. For example Robert E. Lee even though he didn't own

any slaves fought for states right. Some of the men, even in the North sometimes had moments

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when they thought the South was right. For example when Chamberlain saw a runaway slave, he

panicked. But he felt it again: a flutter of unmistakable revulsion. Fat lips, brute jaw, red-veined

eyeballs. Chamberlain stood up. He had not expected this feeling. He had not even known this

feeling was there. He remembered suddenly a conversation with a Southerner a long time ago,

before the war, a Baptist minister. White complacent face, sense of bland enormous superiority:

my dear man, you have to live among them, you simply don't understand. (Sharra 33). What

Sharra is trying to point out here is that during this time, even if you were from the North, as

human beings we all have judgement thoughts but later we regret it. Thats exactly what

happened with Chamberlain and he soon reminded himself the reason why he was fighting this

war. He backed off. He stared at the palm of his own hand. A matter of thin skin. A matter of

color. The reaction is instinctive. Any alien thing. And yet Chamberlain was ashamed; he had not

known it was there. He thought: If I feel this way, even I, an educated man what was in God's

mind? (Shaaka 43)

Throughout the novel, we can see from the characters the struggle they were going

through throughout the war. Shaaka also talks about the war and how it affected the surrounding

countries, not just America. Great Britain for example struggled in picking a side with the war,

even though no foreign country joined the Civil War, Britain was close to joining the

Confederacy because of their business with the cotton industry, however due to recently

abolishing slavery, it was a very sensitive issue for them and shows how stressful it mustve been

for the South to have tried to gain allies. In conclusion, Shaakas illustration of the war torn

generals and how the Civil War folded out shows just how it affects our society.

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