1. In "Thursday, July 2, 1863, The Second Day, Chapter 1, Fremantle," how is Hood described? What does Fremantle try to sense about Hood when he meets him?

2. In "Friday, July 3, 1863, Chapter 1, Chamberlain," what is ironic about where Chamberlain and his men are being sent?

3. In "Friday, July 3, 1863, Chapter 1, Chamberlain," what does Tom say about the bayonets?

4. In "Thursday, July 2, 1863, The Second Day, Chapter 2, Chamberlain," what does Kilrain think the war is about?

5. In "Friday, July 3,1863, Chapter 5, Longstreet," why does Longstreet think he can no longer lead? How does Lee respond?

6. In "Thursday, July 2, 1863, The Second Day, Chapter 4, Chamberlain," what is the result of Vincent telling Chamberlain that his men cannot withdraw under any circumstances?

7. In "Friday, July 3, Chapter 4, Armistead," why does Garnett decide to go against orders and ride his horse into battle?

8. In "Friday, July 3,1863, Chapter 4, Armistead," what are Armistead's dying thoughts?

9. In "Friday, July 3, 1863, Chapter 2, Longstreet," why does Longstreet say the assault will be especially hard on Armistead?

10. In "Friday, July 3, 1863, Chapter 2, Longstreet," compare and contrast Pickett's anticipation of battle with Longstreet's.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

George Pickett is very eager for battle. When he got his orders for charging the center of the Union line, he could barely rein in his anticipation.

1) How is George Pickett generally characterized throughout the novel? Draw from the text.

2) Describe his actions leading up to the final battle, and what his mindset seems to be before the charge begins.

3) Describe his attitude and mindset after the battle.

4) Do you think his initial anticipation would have been different if he had known the outcome ahead of time? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Although General Lee plays a large role in The Killer Angels, General Meade of the Union army seems to play a rather minor role. Drawing from the text, what are the opinions of both the Union soldiers and the Confederate soldiers regarding General Meade? Were those opinions justified given General Meade's actions relating to the battle? How much of an influence did General Meade have on the outcome of the battle?

Essay Topic 3

The Civil War caused brother to fight brother and friend to fight friend. It was often difficult for people to choose a side because their loyalties to family or state were sometimes at odds with their convictions. In The Killer Angels, Lewis "Lo" Armistead finds himself on the opposite side of his good friend, Winfield Hancock, and Robert E. Lee is torn between his oath to serve the United States and his devotion to Virginia. George Pickett is a staunch Confederate, yet has great respect for Abraham Lincoln. With support from the text, discuss:

1) the internal conflicts that these or other characters struggled with in The Killer Angels

2) how the characters dealt with them

3) what effect these conflicts had on their already difficult lives as soldiers or leaders.

Explain how these internal struggles could be symbolic of the Civil War itself.

(see the answer keys)

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