Analysis Of Robert Penn Warren's Wilderness: A Tale Of The Civil War

688 Words3 Pages

It seems that only a few individuals are able to consistently amaze and inspire others through literature. Poets are often these people as their creativity infatuates the readers and can portray a unique scenario meticulously. Robert Penn Warren was such a man. His ability to see things from different perspectives is why he is one of the best poets. One perspective change that was unique was his novel, Wilderness: A Tale of the Civil War. This novel was about a boy named Adam Rosenweig, a German Jew living in a ghetto that was within a province named Bavaria. While living in this community with his father and uncle, he develops a hatred for it as the anti-Semitism within his community continues to grow. Eventually, Adam decides that he must escape this prison of hatred and confusion and travel to America so that he may fight for the North in the Civil War. During his voyage to America, he crippled his ankle issuing an even more difficult journey and may not even be able to fight due to the injury. After the long tiring travel, Adam arrives in New York during the worst possible scenario, the anti-draft riots. These riots were provoked by the government issuing a draft for all men between the ages of 20-45. The rioters of this event were primarily Irish American working class citizens. Being the poorest or …show more content…

The reason for racism often is an individual not seeing beauty in the other, and this is why the New York draft-riot was such an important aspect of his distance traveled. Another symbolic scene in the novel was inside the Wilderness on the southern bank of the Rapidian River. When Adam was forced into killing the confederate outcast (who was wearing union soldier boots) it was then that he realized he did what he had to, and understands where he wants to be. He is able to finally step out of the wilderness into society, metaphorically and