Jan 5, 2010

The Killer Angels | Themes

Different Beliefs about the Cause of the War
The Union men all believe that the Civil War is about freeing the slaves in the South. They subscribe to a democratic ethos that asserts the equality of all men. This is made clear early in the novel by Chamberlain, who is probably the most idealistic character in the novel. He believes he is fighting for freedom, the right of every individual to “become what he wished to become,” free from oppression by tradition or the old European-style aristocracies and royalties. He explains to the mutineers that the Union army...