Confederates in the Attic Essay

Words: 1137
Pages: 5
Open Document
Confederates in the Attic

As Tony Horwitz illustrates in Confederates in the Attic, the Civil War is far from over. Horwitz, determined to find the answers to this conflict, treks through the South, seeking to explain man's longtime obsession with a war that divided the nation. Talking to historians and Civil War reenactors of all kinds, he finds that people are still divided today when it comes to the war and present issues in society. He collects a vast amount of data, which proves to make things very difficult in drawing a general conclusion. Horwitz learns how differently the south views the war, discovers the way in which people use history to suit their own needs, and explores issues of race. Horwitz begins his …show more content…
He said that his generation, however, was focusing more on the reality of the war As Horwitz further discusses the war with Allen, he begins to wonder if many of the things he thought were factual are much closer to fabrication. Allen was right in suggesting that the war has been reinterpreted in unique ways. Like Hodge, "hardcores," wanted to believe they were a part of the Civil War. The men prepare as a professional actor would, taking time to fully convert to the role of a soldier. They pretend to give their lives to the cause, but in reality, they truly do by devoting themselves to the lifestyle.
It's hard to distinguish a line between honoring and romanticizing the war, and the consequences of our actions must never be forgotten. However, it is as if people are constantly searching for an alternate truth. There is much uncertainty when it comes to the history of the Civil War, and this distrust is only confirmed as Horwitz continues on his journey. On the contrary, the truth that racism remains a significant issue in today's society is undeniable. Horwitz asks many of the people he interviews about race, and finds there are many unstable views when it comes to this issue. He observes that racism is widespread, guiding the actions of southerners in various situations. The debate concerning the right to fly the confederate flag is one very heated topic. While the flag demonstrators claim it's "heritage not hate," others feel
Show More

Related Documents: Confederates in the Attic Essay

Confederates In The Attic Summary

Confederates in the Attic was written by Civil War fanatic Tony Horwitz. Tony was introduced to the Civil War by his grandfather, Poppa Isaac, who was very much intrigued by the Civil War. After his grandfather passed away, Horwitz’s father, who also was obsessed with the Civil War, would read him the book titled The Photographic History of the Civil War almost every night when he was a child and Horwitz found himself extremely fascinated by the pictures in the book from the Civil War. Tony decorated…

Words 984 - Pages 4

Confederates In The Attic Analysis

“Oh I’m a good rebel, that’s what I am…I won’t be reconstructed, and I don’t give a damn,” is a line from the song “A Good Old Rebel written in 1870 by Innes Randolpf. Though composed over 128 years before Tony Horwitz published his book Confederates in the Attic, the line speaks the true theme of his book. There are people in the South who still continue to romanticize the time surrounding the Civil War. After moving to a small rural town in Virginia, Horwitz is introduced to a group of die-hard…

Words 611 - Pages 3

Cats Of The Confederates In The Attic Analysis

Confederates in the Attic essay In the chapter Cats of the Confederacy from Tony Horwitz’s book Confederates in the attic, the author examines the impact the Civil War has left upon people living in the South and the way it has shaped the attitudes of the people living in the small North Carolina town of Salisbury. The beliefs held by the people of the small town are sometimes contradictory, and although they hold onto some of the old dispositions of their forefathers, they do not harbor any terrible…

Words 597 - Pages 3

Elizabeth Van Lew's Role In The Civil War

give the prisoners more food or send them to a hospital, where she could visit them. Elizabeth provided them with details about safe houses and often harbored prisoners in the attic of her three-story mansion. She helped over 100 Yankee prisoners escape Libby prison. Elizabeth gathered military information about the Confederate troops from the prisoners and the prison guards, which she secretly delivered to Union officials. Residents of Richmond greatly criticized and became suspicious of her unfailing…

Words 1030 - Pages 5

Individual Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment

Individual Psychoanalytic Personality Assessment | Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper analyzing the components of the psychoanalytic approach to personality. Your paper should cover the following areas: * Compare and contrast the psychoanalytic theories of Freud, Jung, and Adler. What are two characteristics of these theories with which you agree? What are two characteristics with which you disagree? * Describe the stages of Freud’s theory and explain characteristics of personality using…

Words 9124 - Pages 37