Killer Angels: A Thematic Analysis

Throughout history, war has been at the forefront of politics and has led to the formation of some of the greatest societies and movements of all time. That being said, war has also led to the ultimate downfall of enormous empires and movements that at one point were sparked with enthusiasm. In short, it brings the most glorious of times and the worst; thousands of human beings dead, families and nations left grieving, and beliefs shattered like glass – all the aftermath of a brutal, hard-fought war. The United States of America, considered one of the greatest nations of all-time, was not-so united at one point. In fact, throughout the mid-1800’s the whole nation was divided over a single lingering issue – slavery. That massively-inhumane issue …show more content…
The Battle of Gettysburg was later brought to light through astonishing detail and realism in the works of Michael Shaara and his book, Killer Angels. Through the use of personal accounts from key individuals throughout the battle, Shaara provides an astonishing journey that takes the reader through three blazing summer days in which blood is shed profusely on both sides. Throughout Killer Angels, the viewpoints and accounts of several key individuals are provided which ultimately highlights the brutality of the Battle of Gettysburg, the purposes that fueled the Union and Confederate armies, and the thought process behind decisions that directly affected the outcome of the …show more content…
It was a dark time in America, fellow Americans killing one another and fighting for what they thought to be right. Killer Angels is a true masterpiece, showing the contrasting views of each side respectively, and giving insight towards the thought-processes of some of the most important individuals in the battle. In the end, the Union drove the Confederates back, outnumbered them dramatically and wiped out their brigades piece by piece. An astounding 28,000 Confederate soldiers were killed, while 23,000 perished on the Union side. A chapter of the Civil War ended, while another one was soon to begin. Thousands more lives were soon to be lost, as individuals fought for their beliefs. The sheer brutality of the Battle of Gettysburg was clearly illustrated with a flawless style of writing, the purpose of each army was revealed and justified, and the thought-processes and clashing of heads was shown in ways that sheds light on the reason for the uncoordinated-Confederate effort and eventual loss. Shaara wrote with passion and an abundance of knowledge which is easily transferred over to the minds of readers because of his simplistic yet insanely descriptive style of writing. This style of writing, and the amount of depth in Killer Angels, are what enabled Shaara to successfully prove his purpose in writing the book. He took it back to the roots, followed real-accounts of soldiers from the battle, and in doing so makes the