Poll: How Do You React to Buster Kilrain

What is your opinion of the character Buster Kilrain from "The Killer Angels"/"Gettysburg"

  • I wish Shaara had not included any fictional characters

    Votes: 9 11.8%
  • Kilrain is an absurd collection of stereotypes

    Votes: 12 15.8%
  • Kilrain is Shaara's device for eliciting Chamberlain's philosophy of the struggle. He is Shaara.

    Votes: 22 28.9%
  • Kilrain is a unique insertion of an immigrant voice into a work of Civil War fiction

    Votes: 7 9.2%
  • Kilrain is a funny, cynical, working class force in a book dominated by officers and gentlemen

    Votes: 19 25.0%
  • Other (Please Specify)

    Votes: 7 9.2%

  • Total voters
    76

Pat Young

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Featured Book Reviewer
Joined
Jan 7, 2013
Location
Long Island, NY
Buster Kilrain is among the most popular characters in Michael Shaara's book "The Killer Angels" and the film "Gettysburg". Tourists to Gettysburg are sometimes mocked for looking for his non-existent grave, although this search is evidence of his impact on readers and viewers. What is your opinion of this literary character?
 
Buster Kilrain isn't the only immigrant in the book/film that gets mentioned,

So does Colonel Gamble of the Union Cavalry.

The book goes into better detail about Kilrain's working class attitude, and disdain for officers, with the exception of Chamberlin of course
 
Buster Kilrain isn't the only immigrant in the book/film that gets mentioned,

So does Colonel Gamble of the Union Cavalry.

The book goes into better detail about Kilrain's working class attitude, and disdain for officers, with the exception of Chamberlin of course
Gamble was born in Ireland and came to the US at the age of 20.
 
I voted other.
Buster Kilrain serves as a reminder to us that not all Americans were native born with roots stretching back for generations. A German would have served the same purpose although writing dialog to match dialects would have been difficult to do. I am not sure what Shaara's intent was, but this is my reaction to the character.
 
He is the only major character who isn't an officer(Chamberlain is the only one who isn't a general). He's the only working class character. His dialect speech is a little grating, and he has some professional Irish stereotyping going on.
 
It's a Hollywood tradition stretching back to Victor Mclaglen, the lovable, rough, tough Irish noncom. I enjoyed 'Gettysburg' and 'Gods and Generals' but I just couldn't take Buster Kilrain. I believe he was supposed to have been a veteran infantryman with many years of service behind him, well he didn't look very military to me. The way he dressed the way he carried himself even the way he held his musket. Much more believable, I thought anyway, was the Irish drill sergeant in 'Glory'.
 
He is the only major character who isn't an officer(Chamberlain is the only one who isn't a general). He's the only working class character. His dialect speech is a little grating, and he has some professional Irish stereotyping going on.
He is an interesting mix, but it seems that Shaara was not just inserting him for a little "color".
 
I voted other.
Buster Kilrain serves as a reminder to us that not all Americans were native born with roots stretching back for generations. A German would have served the same purpose although writing dialog to match dialects would have been difficult to do. I am not sure what Shaara's intent was, but this is my reaction to the character.
Any Civil War films or novels with a German soldier as a major character?
 
Hmmmm. None that I recall, Pat. Lots of Irish sergeants though! Old westerns with the cavalry involved were almost sure to have one! And yes, they were stereotypical, hot headed, drunken, buffoons which is what makes the Kilrain character so different. His "divine spark" if I may use the term, shows us that he, too, was a man that aspired to greater things than his circumstances might otherwise allow, and he was not anything less than the native born or high born; or better than anyone else including the slave.
The clip you posted pretty much sums up the character that is Buster Kilrain.
 
Kilrain was a good addition to the book and movie, as it shows that the people fighting in this battle were a diverse group ethnically. Truth be told, unless you are a native American, then you and your family are from somewhere else.

I did vote for the third choice in the poll as I felt Shaara did make good use of the Kilrain character to develop more about Chamberlain's views, but I think his part in the story goes much deeper.
 
Hmmmm. None that I recall, Pat. Lots of Irish sergeants though! Old westerns with the cavalry involved were almost sure to have one! And yes, they were stereotypical, hot headed, drunken, buffoons which is what makes the Kilrain character so different. His "divine spark" if I may use the term, shows us that he, too, was a man that aspired to greater things than his circumstances might otherwise allow, and he was not anything less than the native born or high born; or better than anyone else including the slave.
The clip you posted pretty much sums up the character that is Buster
I have alway thought that Kilrain represented Shaara and that it was Shaara's way of having a conversation with the characters. He just chose to represent himself as Irish instead of Italian.

I guess both were considered "ethnic" at the time.
 
I voted for funny, cynic. He's your preachy grand pop, only in a close to non prejudicial way. Even if you aren't Irish, he reminds you of someone you know and love, you loved how hard he fought and believed and you hated to see him die, even though he wasn't real.
 
Any Civil War films or novels with a German soldier as a major character?

Djando Unchained, the co-lead was supposed to be German.

In Ride With the Devil, one of the characters was German.

In Shelby Foote's novel Shiloh one of the Union characters was German.

Not exactly Civil War, buy She Wore A Yellow Ribbon one of the blacksmith soldiers was German.
 
There's nothing at all wrong with a stereotype, if it serves a useful purpose. Kilrain's character is a treasure and a delight ... if there never was a Buster Kilrain, there should have been.
I hasppen to think that without a Kilrain or a figure like him would take away the humble soldier
Buster and JLC in one of the film's iconic scenes:

Thanks Pat

Kilrain was there in one shape or form and either side had a " Buster",,,,,,,,,,,,,,Change the uniforms and it still works for me
 
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