The Killer Angels Group at eNotes

Since author Michael Shaara went to great lengths to make his 1975...

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:44:13 PST

Since author Michael Shaara went to great lengths to make his 1975 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Killer Angels as accurate as possible, coming up with actual differences between the book and the real Battle of Gettysburg are hard to come by. The novel is considered a work of fiction, and there are some examples that cannot be verified. Shaara creates much of the dialogue and mental introspection of the real characters from his own...

Chamberlain is sickened and disheartened. His response is stronger...

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:14:03 PST

Chamberlain is sickened and disheartened. His response is stronger than many of the other Union leaders' because from the beginning of the novel he is a more sensitive, philosophical character. He believes that he is fighting a moral cause, and when he witnesses the carnage and incomprehensible number of bodies, his very faithis shaken. His attitude is understandable because he thinks often about the concept of mercy and knows that there...

No, Reynolds was from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Ironically, he was born...

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:39:44 PST

No, Reynolds was from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Ironically, he was born only 50 miles from the location where he would meet his death. He was a major general who died on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. While serving for the Union forces, he commanded the 1st corps. One other darkly ironic note about Reynolds is that during the Penisula Campaign he was captured at Gaines Mill, and after six weeks in prison, he was exchanged for...

What are the differences between the book The Killer Angels and the...

Wed, 2 Sep 2009 08:30:00 PST

What are the differences between the book The Killer Angels and the actual battle of Gettysburg?

Why doesn't Chamberlain want his brother to be in the army? Why is he so...

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:08:36 PST

Why doesn't Chamberlain want his brother to be in the army? Why is he so bothered by having his brother serving with him inhis regiment?

In The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, vivid imagery, details, and...

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 20:54:36 PST

In The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, vivid imagery, details, and insightful character development reveal the differences between the Union army and the Confederacy. These two armies have different causes for fighting, but the main cause for the war is slavery. This key issue sparked the war. The Confederacy is fighting for independence from the North, yet the Union is fighting for freedom and an end to slavery.

As you know from the reading the novel, it relies heavily on real...

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:58:07 PST

As you know from the reading the novel, it relies heavily on real officers from America's Civil War. So, it is rather unusual that the author MichaelShaarachose to include a fictional character--Buster Kilrain. Kilrain's last name is a play on words of sorts or a contraction of the novel's title Killer Angels. The "kilr" at the beginning are a contraction of "killer," and the "ain" represents "angels." Shaara most likely chose the name...

In The Killer Angels, which character is fictional?

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:06:32 PST

In The Killer Angels, which character is fictional?

On the surface Kilrain is an Irish immigrant fighting for the Union...

Sat, 6 Jun 2009 13:01:06 PST

On the surface Kilrain is an Irish immigrant fighting for the Union Army, however I think your question can be better answered by digging deeper into the 'why' of Kilrain's fighting. Kilrain is fighting the AMERICAN CIVIL WAR for his right to be 'treated as he should be treated'. He is not fighting for a side be it north or south, he is fighting for justice...in essence human justice. What is ironic about The Killer Angels is how the insight...

Killer Angels

Tue, 5 May 2009 15:59:02 PST

Who is kilrain fighting?

Who is Kilrain fighting in The Killer Angels?

Tue, 5 May 2009 15:43:58 PST

Who is Kilrain fighting in The Killer Angels?

What is the thesis of The Killer Angels?

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:03:49 PST

What is the thesis of The Killer Angels?

One of the main themes of “The Killer Angels” is the different...

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:41:12 PST

One of the main themes of “The Killer Angels” is the different beliefs about the cause of the war. Both the North and the South believed they were right in the beliefs that they fought for. The Northern Army believed they were fighting to free the slaves. The Southern Army did not think the war was about slavery they were fighting for state's rights. “We established this country in the first place with strong state governments ....

What are two major themes in "The Killer Angels?"

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:09:05 PST

What are two major themes in "The Killer Angels?"

How does the theme of loyalty to commanding officers appear throughout...

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 11:13:49 PST

How does the theme of loyalty to commanding officers appear throughout various wars in US history?

Describe Chamberlain's feelings about the carnage and all the deaths...

Thu, 4 Dec 2008 08:23:27 PST

Describe Chamberlain's feelings about the carnage and all the deaths sustained at the battle.

In the book The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara was John Reynolds from...

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:13:23 PST

In the book The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara was John Reynolds from the South?

This is true for all groups of people. I am a white woman who spent a...

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 06:16:11 PST

This is true for all groups of people. I am a white woman who spent a year teaching English in South Korea, and I can't tell you how many times I was victim of spitting or some other assault simply because I was white and/or American. I have friends from all walks of life--colors, creeds, religion--yet, I have been judged by black people to be racist just by means of my skin color alone. Once they got to know me personally, they admitted...

Have to take people one at a time......

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:41:54 PST

Definitely one of the most powerful points in the novel follows.... How does one judge a race???? For me it is simply not logical. If we (and by that I mean humanity) are going to survive on this planet we had better somehow see bad apples as bad apples. Killrain speaks an unpopular truth, however the truth.The fact that he is an Irish immigrant fighting in The Civil War only adds to the power of his truth. Historically, the Irish...

Why did the author write the book The Killer Angles?

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:48:16 PST

Why did the author write the book The Killer Angles?