Confederates in the Attic

Paper Summary:

This paper explains how "Confederates in the Attic" is not just a history book, it is an intriguing look into the hearts and minds of modern Southerners and their continuing absorption in the Civil War, reenacting its battles in great detail. It explains how Horwitz attempts to discover just why the Civil War is so compelling to so many people, and in the process, learns more about the sociology and culture of the South. His book, therefore, is more than a history text, or even a modern look back with sentimentality and nostalgia; it is a look into the hearts and minds of people who live vicariously through the history of their ancestors and what that really says about all of us in America today.

From the Paper:

"Tony Horwitz clearly had several reasons for writing his compelling book, "Confederates in the Attic," but the most important reason seems to be his own fascination and interest in the Civil War. Specifically, he is searching for the reason why reenacting the Civil War, particularly in the southern United States, has become such a common and undeniable lure for so many people. However, there is more to his book than just searching for reasons. His book is sometimes funny, sometimes depressing, and sometimes almost unbelievable. The people he meets on his journey through the South are people just like you and me, and yet, they have some glaring differences, and these differences are what Horwitz uses to create a lasting impression of people who simply cannot let go of their legacy and get along with their lives. It is easy for those who do not live there to say, "the war is over," but for many in the South, the war will never be over, and this permeates the book with a deep feeling of sadness and wasted lives."

More papers on Confederates in the Attic:

• Analytical Essay # 16682 : "Confederate in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War?"
• Book Review # 105018 : "One Dead in the Attic": A Review"
• Analytical Essay # 42024 : "The Lifted Veil" and "The Madwoman in the Attic"

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