4.09 Honors: Writing about the Civil War era

Read the excerpt from The Killer Angels.

The two men in the dialogue have distinctly different views regarding slavery, people of color, and the reason the Union is carrying out the war against the southern states that have seceded. Your task is to write an essay of no less than 500 words that is an exploration of one of the following three themes you will find in the reading selection:

Choice One: Idealism vs. Skepticism
For this choice you will identify and explore how these two contrasting ideas play out in the selected reading. As you develop your essay, you should look for opportunities to draw connections to our world today -- especially through your concluding paragraph.

Choice Two: Intellectual Aristocracy vs. Social Aristocracy
For this choice you will compare and contrast the "Intellectual Aristocracy" that Kilrain describes with the "Social Aristocracy" that exists in the South prior to the Civil War. The idea of the aristocracy is defined here, but it will be your task to define these two specialized terms as you understand them from the reading. Be sure to make relevant connections between the world of the characters in the novel and our world today -- especially through your concluding paragraph.

Choice Three: "The Divine Spark"
For this choice you will identify the use of the term "The Divine Spark" and explore its meaning in depth. This essay confronts the question, "What does it mean to be human?" and how this question is ultimately tied to the reasons for fighting the Civil War. As you develop your essay, you should include specific details and quotations from the reading selection The Killer Angels. Look for opportunities to draw connections to our world today -- especially through your concluding paragraph.

Be sure to proofread your work and then submit for grade.

View the Killer Angels rubric to see how your assignment will be graded.