As I began reading Fleischman's book Bull Run, which chronicles the events leading up to this battle during the initial stages of the Civil War, I wondered if the flow of the plot would be interrupted by the frequent changes of perspective. Initially, I had some difficulty connecting with the characters and their affiliations with the war. As I continued reading, however, I was pleased by the fact that the characters were revisited throughout the text. I also found myself becoming more invested in the story as the battle became imminent. The first person accounts provide the reader with a balanced perspective about how the war impacted all citizens to include soldiers, slaves, women and children. This book personalizes the impact of war and dispels many myths that people have regarding the Civil War.
We learn that those slaves who fought for the North endured mistreatment. We also learn how unprepared the soldiers were coming into the battle of Bull Run. Both sides miscalculated their enemy and had to fight in conditions in which there was a complete breakdown in communication. Fleischman effectively conveyed the chaos and confusion that took hold of the commanding officers and their soldiers. We also were provided a glimpse of the bravery and heroism that many people possessed. Men, women and children who were either directly or indirectly involved in the war acquired the ability to survive and support what they believed in, despite the consequences. Others, however, revealed the atrocities of war. For example, Dr. William Rye states, " Man is the deadliest of God's creatures... How intently the men studied the art of killing... and yet, how shocked we are that men bleed and die..."
I was most taken by the accounts of Lily Maloy. I empathized with her character the most because of the abuse she endured at home. Her father was portrayed as a heartless man who asserted his authority by making his family fearful of him. Lily's older brother Patrick decided to fight in the war, despite the threats given to him by his father. After reading Lily's first account, I wanted to follow her story. I was saddened by the despair she suffered when she found out that her brother died in battle. Her persective ended the book and I was moved by her feelings toward the Battle of Bull Run. She expressed, " I felt great hatred for the stream called Bull Run. I thought back to walking through the wheat when it had been shorter, weeks before." She continued, " How I yearned to be that girl again, back before Patrick had been killed!" This final passage speaks to the life altering effects of war. Fleischman weaved disparate characters together in this book. Bull Run could serve as an excellent supplementary text when teaching the Civil War.
We learn that those slaves who fought for the North endured mistreatment. We also learn how unprepared the soldiers were coming into the battle of Bull Run. Both sides miscalculated their enemy and had to fight in conditions in which there was a complete breakdown in communication. Fleischman effectively conveyed the chaos and confusion that took hold of the commanding officers and their soldiers. We also were provided a glimpse of the bravery and heroism that many people possessed. Men, women and children who were either directly or indirectly involved in the war acquired the ability to survive and support what they believed in, despite the consequences. Others, however, revealed the atrocities of war. For example, Dr. William Rye states, " Man is the deadliest of God's creatures... How intently the men studied the art of killing... and yet, how shocked we are that men bleed and die..."
I was most taken by the accounts of Lily Maloy. I empathized with her character the most because of the abuse she endured at home. Her father was portrayed as a heartless man who asserted his authority by making his family fearful of him. Lily's older brother Patrick decided to fight in the war, despite the threats given to him by his father. After reading Lily's first account, I wanted to follow her story. I was saddened by the despair she suffered when she found out that her brother died in battle. Her persective ended the book and I was moved by her feelings toward the Battle of Bull Run. She expressed, " I felt great hatred for the stream called Bull Run. I thought back to walking through the wheat when it had been shorter, weeks before." She continued, " How I yearned to be that girl again, back before Patrick had been killed!" This final passage speaks to the life altering effects of war. Fleischman weaved disparate characters together in this book. Bull Run could serve as an excellent supplementary text when teaching the Civil War.
2 comments:
Like you, I was a little unsure of how well I'd be able to keep up with the story because of the changing perspectives unless I wrote numerous and numerous notes for myself! Despite this, Fleischman gave a well-balanced view of the war. I didn't blog about this, I don't think, but I was just as surprised as you were about how unprepared these soldiers were. I guess I was just assuming they had all this training and were ready for whatever the war threw at them.
I agree with you that Fleischman did a fabulous job of portraying different perspectives on the war-- chaos, prejudice by Northerners, different motivations for joining the war. As an individual who hated Social Studies as a student because it seemed like memorizing names and dates, having the opportunity to read books like Bull Run would have probably changed my attitude toward the subject a great deal. Teachers would be investing wisely to read this with students during a unit on the Civil War.
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