Reaction Paper on "Confederates in the Attic"

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Confederates of the Attic

Confederates in the attic: Dispatches from the unfinished civil war

The Confederates of the Attic is about the civil war in America. The writer of the book 'Tony Howrtiz', who takes a long journey to the south, gives a detailed encounter of the civil war especially from the southern side. This is a true story of the writer's encounter in the southern battlefields. The writer, driven by his childhood passion of the civil war, decides to search for people and various places that may still contain information about the civil war. Howrtiz captures the outcome of the civil war as perceived by both the white and blacks. He gives the distinction in the way of life between 1860s and 1900. Although the war ended, and the union is still maintained, significant issues of inequality and racial injustices have not yet found a solution.

Both the white and blacks feel separated by the central government. Blacks feel the inhuman activities like slavery have not ended but the tactics are the only thing has changed. Ethnicity and economic imbalance exist in the south. In his mission in the battlefields and the society of the south, Howrtiz realizes the perception that the southerners are uneducated lot, and there is much segregation in the society. Whites in the south revere the civil war rebel flag, but the blacks see it as a symbol of hatred, segregation and a sign of the white superiority. Howrtiz takes a one-year journey in exploring the civil war and its effect to the society today. He explores how people perceive the war and how it shapes the history of America. He tries to find the answers to questions such as, how does the civil war shape the religious views of the people in the south? He also tries to figure out how the civil war increased the segregation to the people of America.

Reflections

1. New answers given to Tony Howrtiz from southern people

Howrtiz in his long journey to various states in the south, find the answers to his many questions. Horwtiz discovers the truth in the various myths and wrong perception about the south and its people. Southern people are religious as he discovers that there are both Christians and Jews. There are still high rates of racial segregation and hatred between the whites and blacks. They do not associate in many social aspects of life. Howrtiz also finds answers to his boyhood passion of the civil war. People's perception of the civil war is different between blacks and whites. Blacks do not see a meaning in it and associate it with slavery. Religiously, all who died in the cause of the civil war are heroes and a cause of devotion for the church.

The Southerners use the war and the history behind it as a step stone to a better society. Although the defeat was bitter and most of their soldiers died, the war act as a uniting factor and each side attained their independence. The Southern people view the war as a transition from the traditional ways of war, "wars of individuals," to today's industrial and technical methods of war. The civil war was the main cause of segregation between blacks and whites. Blacks feel unappreciated for their service and participation in the war. On the other hand, both blacks and whites feel the central government does not give them a fair treatment as the North.

2. Insights and religious values about the South from the story

The Sothern people have embraced both Christianity and Jewish religions. This does not bring separation in the society and in most cases, the two sets of believers worship together either in the synagogue or in church (Howrtiz 24). The Southern people are more receptive to religion than the North. By mid 1900s, there were many Jews people in the South than North. Although letter, Horwtiz points out that the Jews are intolerable and the immigration authority restrict their movement. Irrespective of the civil war, religion has been a uniting factor to the people of the south.

People honor the civil war fighters. They still commemorate the soldiers on the Memorial Day and acknowledge their heroes effort. According to Howrtiz, although they southerners lose they are all free." I look at the war from a freedom standpoint. One side won,… READ MORE

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