An Honorable Leader In Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels

Total War, a term that can be used to describe the most detrimental aspects of the Civil War. It bred mass destruction and unrestricted chaos establishing it as one of the worst American wars. However, although it contained deadly battles and disunity that engrossed the nation, it propagated individuals that would set a precedent for what it means to be an honorable leader. In the Civil War novel, The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara, Union leader Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain and Confederate leader, General Robert E. Lee, depict many corresponding ideals and strategic beliefs, that accompanied with their different motives for their participation within their side, lead to the outcome of the war. The novel provides a realistic account of the days leading up to, and the days of, …show more content…
To explain, before his involvement in the war, Chamberlain was a college professor who would teach everything besides math. Thus, it can be argued that because Chamberlain would teach his students how to analyze different situations, he grew accustomed to it, and therefore implemented that same behavior in the war. Moreover, there are many situations within the novel where Chamberlain, unlike the other leaders, begins to reflect about equality, portraying a poetic standpoint on why everyone is equal. This demonstrates how Chamberlain analyzed the situation, and thought about how there was no such thing as a foreigner, as every man was similar to himself, therefore all men were equal. In addition, this indicates that he believes in his cause because he compared it to fighting the war for his own freedom and dignity as an American. Moreover, because America is diverse, than if all were equal in American, than they would be equal everywhere. This allowed the reader to see how being a professor allowed Chamberlain to grow passionate about the acceptance of all