Tejas Dalal 10/25/95 Critique of Nevins Thesis Nevins thesis about the portrayal of the glorious and terrible sides of the Civil War is excellent. Nevins does an excellent job in proving that war is terrible, rather than the glorious way it is often looked at. Nevins accomplishes his goal by writing a thesis that emphasizes the terrible side of war, but does not ignore the glorious side of war. Thus, Nevins writes a well balanced thesis. By using quotes from literary sources, statistics, and descriptions Nevins writes a very persuasive and readable thesis. Nevins writes an excellent thesis because of the conceptual points that he makes. One very strong point that he makes is that people remember the good, and tend to forget the painful. This is true, because most people tend to believe that the Civil War ended slavery; hence, they do not care about the horrible consequences of the war. Nevins is also successful in showing that the Civil War is horrible by using descriptions. One description that helped to persuade me is, " Every house in the area was converted into a hospital, where the floors were covered with wretches heavily wounded, sometimes with arms or legs torn off, who after the first bandages, got no nursing, medical care, or even nourishment." This description is very gruesome and helps to portray that the Civil War is not glorious. Using descriptions is a superb way for Nevin to prove his point. By using descriptions the reader is able to paint a picture in his mind.

By using statistics Nevins is also able to prove the point that the Civil War had a terrible side. The fact that he stated that between 600,00 and 700,000 young men died in the Civil War is eye-catching to the reader. This makes the reader think that the Civil War has a terrible side. This is a very good technique for Nevins to prove his point. As Nevins goes on to say the lives and talent of these men went down the drain. It makes one wonder how the world would be different if the Civil War never occurred. By using this technique Nevin is also able to persuade any one that is reading this thesis that war has a terrible side. Nevins writes a wonderful thesis in which he successfully proves that the Civil War has a terrible side. He proves that the Civil War is terrible by utilizing points, painting pictures and by using statistics. He makes the points in a very logical manner which consequently persuades the reader that the Civil War has a horrible side. This thesis is also well structured and thorough which helps to prove his point. Any one reading this essay will change their opinion about the Civil War being glorious. This is only a few of the many great points that Nevin makes in his thesis.