Republic of Suffering places death
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Drew Gilpin Faust’s book This Republic of Suffering places death at the center of the Civil War experience. What is Faust’s argument in Republic of Suffering? Do you agree with her argument? Why or why not? How else might we explain the Civil War? Please use examples from the text to support your arguments.
Sample Solution
In her book This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War, historian Drew Gilpin Faust argues that death had a lasting impact on all aspects of society during the war period. As a result, she claims that death became “a central feature of life” (Faust 2008) in which mourning practices were deeply tied to how individuals understood their role within society and the nation at large.
At its core, Faust argues that death profoundly changed how Americans related to each other as well as their own sense of identity within the nation. She explains that previously accepted religious beliefs such as salvation & revivalism could no longer provide solace due to widespread destruction caused by the war–forcing many people to reevaluate their faith (Faust 2008). At the same time, soldiers faced danger everyday while also grappling with questions regarding patriotism & duty towards one’s country (Faust 2008).
Furthermore, Faust explores how public mourning rituals served both practical & symbolic purposes–with an increase in funerary monuments dedicated to fallen soldiers serving as emblems for collective grief while providing ways for families & communities to honor those who had lost their lives in service. Ultimately, she concludes that mortality was transformed from something private into something communal which allowed humans to come together despite differences and bond over shared tragedies.