Rain Symbol in The Killer Angels

Rainstorms frame the action in The Killer Angels. Throughout most of the novel, the threat of rain and storm symbolizes impending violence and disaster; yet, by the end of the book, the long-anticipated eruption of a full-fledged storm symbolizes cleansing, healing, and promise. When Harrison first locates the position of the Union army at the beginning of the novel, he sees the soldiers emerging “out of a blue rainstorm in the east,” and he rides nervously through a lightning storm as he seeks the safety of the Confederate lines. This association of rain with tension is maintained when, on the first day of battle, a young Union soldier fires the battle’s first shots at Confederate skirmishers approaching in the rain. On the eve of the second day of battle, Longstreet, knowing Lee will not be dissuaded from making an unwise attack, “[smells] disaster like distant rain.” At dawn on the third and final day of battle—hours before the disastrous climax of Pickett’s Charge—Longstreet smells rain once again. Following Pickett’s Charge, lightning begins blazing in the distance, the wind carries the smell of rain, and Lee and Longstreet make plans to withdraw under cover of the weather.

Now that the anticipated disaster has occurred (from the Confederate perspective, at least) the symbolism shifts. As Chamberlain sits on Cemetery Hill, overlooking the carnage, the rain begins to fall, washing the day’s dirt from his face; he is only able to stare at the fallen bodies illuminated by lightning. As the rain begins to pour in earnest, he feels pity for the fallen Confederates and gratitude for having experienced such a historic turning-point. A fierce storm floods Gettysburg all night, “washing … the white bones of the dead, cleansing the earth … driving the blood deep into the earth, to grow it again with the roots toward Heaven.” Even though the rain washes away the signs of suffering, it won’t efface the memory of what has happened in Gettysburg; implicitly, the blood spilled will not be wasted, but will “take root” by yielding not only military victory for the present, but greater freedoms in the future.

Rain Symbol Timeline in The Killer Angels

The timeline below shows where the symbol Rain appears in The Killer Angels. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...him with pride. But now he must locate Lee’s headquarters in the middle of a lightning storm. He asks a farmer about the nearby town and learns that it is Gettysburg,... (full context)

Lee emerges from his tent, bareheaded and haggard-looking in the rain. He and Longstreet ignore Harrison’s obsequious behavior and examine the Union positions he has reported.... (full context)

...and a boy on Buford’s picket line sees rows of Confederate skirmishers approaching in the rain. He fires the first shot of the battle. (full context)

Lee gets up the next morning in the rain, feeling dizzy, “a breathless pain” in his chest. Since the spring, he has felt that... (full context)

...horse.” Longstreet looks toward the Union campfires on Cemetery Hill and “[smells] disaster like distant rain.” Longstreet’s clarity of sight is also his curse. He can see situations clearly, but is... (full context)

Longstreet sits alone in the dawn, smelling rain. Lee appears, looking majestic in the mist, a ghostly presence. As they ride together, Longstreet... (full context)

Clouds gather in the west, and as evening advances, they see lightning in the distance. Longstreet automatically places his men in a defensive line and then sits... (full context)

Lee comes along after a while, distant lightning blazing beyond his head. Men are still walking alongside him, pleadingly; Longstreet sees “something oddly... (full context)

...requests a few moments alone with Longstreet. They sit in silence by the fire as lightning flares and the wind picks up. Finally, Lee says, in a husky voice, that they... (full context)

A cold, heavy wind, smelling of rain, is beginning to blow over the trees. Lee refers to his lecture on the previous... (full context)

Rain begins to fall lightly around Chamberlain, washing the dust and dirt from his face. Soon... (full context)

...gazes across the field now, all he can see is outlines of bodies illuminated by lightning. (full context)

Tom gets up, urging his brother to move, too, since there’s a big rain coming. He asks Chamberlain if he thinks the rebels will attack again. Chamberlain nods, knowing... (full context)

As the rain begins to pour, Chamberlain thanks God for the privilege of having been there that day.... (full context)

The Killer Angels

Michael Shaara

Rain Symbol Analysis

Rain Symbol Timeline in The Killer Angels