SparkNotes: The Red Badge of Courage: Analysis of Major Characters Analysis of Major Characters The Red Badge of Courage Stephen Crane Themes, Motifs & Symbols Henry Fleming Throughout the novel, Crane refers to Henry as “the young soldier” and “the youth.” Both the best and worst characteristics of Henry’s youth mark him. Unlike the veteran soldiers whom he encounters during his first battle, Henry is not jaded. He believes, albeit naïvely, in traditional models of courage and honor, and romanticizes the image of dying in battle by invoking the Greek tradition of a dead soldier being laid upon his shield. On the other hand, because he is young, Henry has yet to experience enough to test these abstractions. As a result, his most passionate convictions are based on little else than fantasies, making him seem vain and self-centered. Henry’s reasons for wanting to win glory in battle are far from noble. The philosophical underpinnings of the war do not motivate him; neither does any deeply held, personal sense of right and wrong. Instead, Henry desires a reputation. He hopes that an impressive performance on the battlefield will immortalize him as a hero among men who, because of the domesticating effects of religion and education, rarely distinguish themselves so dramatically.

Ironically, after fleeing from battle, Henry feels little guilt about invoking his own intelligence in order to justify his cowardice. He condemns the soldiers who stayed to fight as imbeciles who were not “wise enough to save themselves from the flurry of death.” This is how he restores his fragile self-pride. When Henry returns to camp and lies about the nature of his wound, he doubts neither his manhood nor his right to behave as pompously as a veteran. Henry’s lack of a true moral sense manifests itself in the emptiness of the honor and glory that he seeks. He feels no responsibility to earn these accolades. If others call him a hero, he believes he is one. When Henry finally faces battle, however, he feels a “temporary but sublime absence of selfishness.” A great change occurs within him: as he fights, he loses his sense of self. No longer is he interested in winning the praise and attention of other men; instead, he allows himself to disappear into the commotion and become one component of a great fighting machine.

As Henry finds himself deeply immersed in battle, the importance of winning a name for himself fades with the gun smoke, for “it was difficult to think of reputation when others were thinking of skins.” It is ironic, then, that Henry establishes his reputation at these very moments. Officers who witness his fierce fighting regard him as one of the regiment’s best. Henry does not cheat his way to the honor that he so desperately craves when the novel opens; instead, he earns it. This marks a tremendous growth in Henry’s character. He learns to reflect on his mistakes, such as his earlier retreat, without defensiveness or bravado, and abandons the hope of blustery heroism for a quieter, but more satisfying, understanding of what it means to be a man. Jim Conklin Jim contrasts sharply with Henry in the opening pages of the novel. When Henry asks Jim if he would flee from battle, Jim’s answer—that he would run if other soldiers ran, fight if they fought—establishes him as a pragmatist. He is strong and self-reliant, and does not romanticize war or its supposed glories in the manner that Henry does.

Unlike Wilson, whose loud complaints characterize his early appearances, Jim marches through his days efficiently and with few grievances. He informs Henry that he can unburden himself of his unnecessary munitions, declaring, “You can now eat and shoot . . . That’s all you want to do.” Jim has little patience for the kind of loud, knee-jerk criticism or vague abstraction that distracts Wilson and Henry. He prefers to do what duty requires of him and finds a quiet, simple pleasure in doing so. He silences Wilson and Henry from discussing the qualifications of their commanding officers while they are eating because he “could not rage in fierce argument in the presence of such sandwiches.” Jim’s quiet demeanor persists even as he dies. He does not indulge in a protracted death scene, curse his fate, or philosophize about the cruelties and injustices of war. Instead, he brushes Henry and his offers of comfort aside. He seeks to die alone, and those present notice “a curious and profound dignity in the firm lines of his awful face.” The solemn poise with which Jim dies puzzles Henry, who wants to rail loudly at the universe.

In death, as in life, Jim possesses the rare, self-assured goodness of a man who knows and fulfills his responsibilities. Wilson Whereas Jim Conklin’s character remains notably steady throughout the novel, Wilson’s undergoes a dramatic change. Wilson is initially loud, opinionated, and naïve. For the first half of the book, Crane refers to him almost exclusively as “the loud soldier.” Wilson indignantly assures Henry that if battle occurs, he will certainly fight in it: “I said I was going to do my share of the fighting—that’s what I said. And I am, too. Who are you anyhow? You talk as if you thought you was Napoleon Bonaparte.” Shortly thereafter, he approaches Henry again. Certain that he is about to meet his doom, he gives the youth a yellow envelope to deliver to his family, should he die in battle. This erratic shift from obnoxious bravado to naked vulnerability demonstrates Wilson’s immaturity. Like Henry, he is initially little more than a youth trying desperately to assure himself of his manhood. Wilson’s transformation becomes clear relatively quickly.

After disappearing into battle, he resurfaces to take care of Henry with all of the bustling of an “amateur nurse” upon Henry’s return to camp. He further displays his generosity by insisting that Henry take his blanket. Upon waking the next day, Henry notes the change in his friend: “He was no more a loud young soldier. There was now about him a fine reliance. He showed a quiet belief in his purpose and his abilities.” Wilson’s attitude toward the envelope which he earlier entrusted to Henry further demonstrates the maturation that he has undergone. Though ashamed of his earlier display of fear, he asks Henry for the envelope back—he is no longer interested in his reputation or in the amount of sheer bravery that his comrades associate with his name, two issues that ponderously plague Henry. Instead, Wilson seems to have “climbed a peak of wisdom from which he could perceive himself as a very wee thing.” This transformation furthers one of the novel’s explorations, showing plainly what happens when one realizes the relative insignificance of his or her life—an awareness that Henry seems to have gained by the novel’s end. Furthermore, the development of Wilson’s character contributes to the noise/silence motif.

Through the sounds of battle, endless gossip, and empty bragging of the soldiers, noise comes to be associated with youth, vanity, and struggle. Toward the end of the novel, these sounds give way to a peace and quiet that suggest the eventuality of the progression past youthful struggle to the more reflective musings of manhood. The Red Badge of Courage Study Guide - Course Hero 146 Synopsis The Red Badge of Courage is a war novel by American author Stephen Crane. Taking place during the American Civil War, the story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming, who flees from the field of battle. Overcome with shame, he longs for a wound—a "red badge of courage"—to counteract his cowardice. When his regiment once again faces the enemy, Henry acts as standard-bearer. Although Crane was born after the war, and had not at the time experienced battle first-hand, the novel is known for its realism. He began writing what would become his second novel in 1893, using various contemporary and written accounts as inspiration.

It is believed that he based the fictional battle on that of Chancellorsville; he may also have interviewed veterans of the 124th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the Orange Blossoms. Initially shortened and serialized in newspapers in December 1894, the novel was published in full in October 1895. A longer version of the work, based on Crane's original manuscript, was published in 1982. The novel is known for its distinctive style, which includes realistic battle sequences as well as the repeated use of color imagery, and ironic tone. Separating itself from a traditional war narrative, Crane's story reflects the inner experience of its protagonist—a soldier fleeing from combat—rather than the external world around him. Also notable for its use of what Crane called a "psychological portrayal of fear", the novel's allegorical and symbolic qualities are often debated by critics. Several of the themes that the story explores are maturation, heroism, cowardice, and the indifference of nature. The Red Badge of Courage garnered widespread acclaim—what H. G. Wells called "an orgy of praise"—shortly after its publication, making Crane an instant celebrity at the age of twenty-four.

The novel and its author did have their initial detractors, however, including author and veteran Ambrose Bierce. Adapted several times for the screen, the novel became a bestseller Characters SparkNotes: The Red Badge of Courage: Key Facts The Red Badge of Courage Stephen Crane full title · The Red Badge of Courage: An Episode of the American Civil War author · Stephen Crane genre · Psychological novel, war novel language · English time and place written · 1893–1895, New York date of first publication · October 5, 1895 publisher · D. Appleton and Company narrator · The narrator speaks from the third-person limited omniscient point of view, relaying the thoughts and feelings of Henry but not those of the other characters. climax · Henry Fleming and Wilson lead the 304th Regiment to an unlikely victory over the rebels, seizing the enemy’s position and their flag.

protagonist · Henry Fleming antagonists · The Confederate Army; the Union general who calls the soldiers of the 304th Regiment “mule drivers” and “mud diggers” point of view · Henry Fleming’s setting · An unspecified time during the Civil War; the battle described in the novel is most likely a fictional account of the Battle at Chancellorsville, which took place May 2–6, 1863. falling action · After capturing the enemy’s flag, Henry reflects on his experiences in battle and decides that he is a man of courage. tense · Past foreshadowing · Henry’s early conversations with Jim Conklin and Wilson establish the choice he will later face in battle: whether to fight or flee; Henry’s encounters with death (the corpse in the woods and Jim Conklin) anticipate Henry’s acceptance of the universe’s indifference.

tones · Detached, journalistic, realistic, impressionistic, sardonic, humorous, pathetic, violent themes · Traditional versus realistic conceptions of courage, honor, and manhood; the human instinct to survive as pitted against the universe’s grand indifference; the struggle between self-interest and group obligation; the psychological effects of realizing one’s own mortality; development from innocence to experience motifs · Noise (gossip, battle, bravado) versus silence; youth and egoism versus maturity and selflessness; mortality as a defining principle of courage and honor; accepting one’s past as a necessary (and humbling) step toward maturity symbols · Because Crane was so invested in portraying a young soldier’s experience as accurately as possible, the novel is not highly symbolic. There are a few exceptions: the dead soldier in the “chapel of trees”; the red sun setting after Jim Conklin’s death (nature’s indifference to human existence); the flag (beauty and invincibility). LitPick / Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews January 2007 The Erroneous Romanticizing of the War Hero In Stephen Crane's novel, The Red Badge of Courage, the main character, Henry Fleming, changes his perspective on heroism and war throughout the story.

Fleming, a naïve young man expecting to become a hero, enters the United States Army to fight for the Union during the Civil War. When fear takes hold of Fleming and he runs away from his first skirmish, he finds himself encountering a series of injured, dying, and dead men that break down his image of heroism. Throughout the conclusion of the battle and the novel, Henry Fleming shows an altered outlook in which he no longer has a self-centered mindset focused on becoming a hero, and instead fights for survival along with his regimental comrades. Through Fleming's change, Stephen Crane suggests that war is not glorious as society perceives it, and when faced with its realities, soldiers must change to survive. In the beginning of the novel, Henry Fleming visualizes himself playing a game where he, the mythical soldier, displays heroic courage in the face of danger. He is a young man, perhaps not much older than the 18 year-old minimum age needed to join the United States Military. Most likely, before enlisting, Henry Fleming had rarely traveled farther than his small northern town.

He expects that war "must be some sort of play affair" (Crane 7), thus, "[n]otably absent in [Fleming's] imaginings is any sense of the specifics of death"(Horsford 119). Also, "Henry does not, as do so many of his fictional and non-fictional predecessors, envision himself in a project involving the liberation of slaves…[he sees the war] as opportunities for personal aggrandizement" (Pease 81). The narrator notes that "[t]he newspapers, the gossip of the village, his [Fleming's] own picturings, [about the war] had aroused him to an uncheckable degree" (Crane 9). The young soldier anticipates fighting in a civilized war where he hopes to become a hero who triumphs over the enemy (Weiss 19). Nevertheless, Henry Fleming soon begins to doubt his glorified image of war. When Fleming's first battle grows closer, he ponders whether he will flee or fight the enemy and become a hero. In the midst of battle, a soldier near him is hit by a bullet and is "at an instant, smitten abject.

He [Fleming] blanched like one who has come to the edge of a cliff at midnight" (Crane 75-76). He is caught unaware by the death in war and as he had feared, runs from his first battle while his comrades are still facing the enemy. Fleming initially goes through a period of denial after he flees from battle. At one point, he attempts to justify his flight by throwing a pinecone at a squirrel, which then runs away. Upon this result, "the youth felt triumphant…, feeling that Nature was of his mind" (Crane 87). Fleming shows his subconscious doubt about this justification when, in another instance, "he ignores the meaning of [a different] small feral animal pouncing on a fish" (Horsford 119). Crane juxtaposes this image of a predator-prey relationship in which there is direct conflict, with Fleming's idea that it is an inherent action in nature for the prey to flee. As Pease points out, this contradictory evidence "must have impinged on Henry's consciousness" (89).

Fleming's subliminal doubt about whether it is inherent in nature to run away begins to erode his image of heroism in war. Further into his excursion in the forest while running away, Henry Fleming comes across a dead Union soldier with ants crawling across his face, and begins to understand the reality of death and war. He describes the body with an incredulous tone, observing, "[i]ts red had changed to an appalling yellow. Over the gray skin of the face ran little ants. One was trundling some sort of a bundle along the upper lip"(Crane 88). Henry Fleming, upon seeing the dead man, is beginning to notice the horrific tragedies of war, as "[h]is terror becomes paroxysmal" (Knapp 76). However, the nameless, dead Union soldier is only a precursor to what he soon sees. Coming across a line of wounded soldiers, Fleming finds his friend Jim Conklin, whom he respects.

Before the battle starts, Fleming had asked Conklin questions such as "[h]ow do you think the reg'ment 'll do?" (Crane 19) and "[t]hink any of the boys 'll run?" (Crane 19). Fleming looks up to Jim Conklin as a respected veteran, valuing his opinion and seeing him as "the model for a sensible, realistic, and above all active role in meeting the ominous threat of the battle" (Weiss 28). His reverence for Conklin is nourished by his fellow soldier's confidence to "stand and fight" (Crane 21) that he professed earlier in the novel. Conklin, who did not flee the battle as Fleming did, is mortally wounded, causing Fleming to feel that he has committed a "crime [which is] concealed in his bosom" and is responsible for the death of his friend (Crane 115). Nevertheless, the shame that this failed responsibility causes is not yet aroused.

After the death of Jim Conklin, a tattered soldier converses with Fleming and assumes that he is physically injured like the rest in the line of wounded; while doing so, he exposes Fleming's internal wound of shame. The tattered soldier comments, "I bet yeh've got a worser one than yeh think. Ye'd better take keer of yer hurt. It don't do t'let sech things go. It might be inside mostly, an' them plays thunder. Were is it located?" (Crane 112). Without knowing it, the tattered soldier has struck directly at the inner crisis that Fleming is experiencing and allows "Henry's guilt [to] reach… almost unbearable proportions" (Wolford 108). He blames himself for leaving the rest of his comrades to face the Confederates alone. Fleming believes "that he was their murderer" (Crane 124) and thus is responsible for Jim Conklin's death. The innocent caring of the tattered man has "uprais[ed] the ghost of shame" (Crane 113).

Fleming feels that the only way that he can get rid of his burden of shame is to return to his regiment and die heroically in battle. He pictures himself as "a blue desperate figure leading lurid charges with one knee forward and a broken blade high… getting calmly killed on a high place before the eyes of all" (Crane 119). It is evident in this quote that the "simple-minded notions of heroism which [the] protagonist has brought with him to the army" (McDermott 45) still remain, and now Henry Fleming "longs to be dead, but [still desires to be] a hero" (Knapp 80). Through Fleming's wishes for a heroic death, he attempts to deal with his shame. While looking to return to his regiment, an irritated soldier strikes Fleming across the head with the butt of his rifle, giving him a wound that outwardly becomes his justification to his regiment for having left the skirmish. However, inside it is the "moral vindication [that is] regarded by the youth as a very important thing" (Crane 123).

As Dooley states, Henry Fleming is able to return to his regiment with "his self-pride… now entirely restored" (Crane 160) (65). In a logical stretch, Fleming believes that the wound he receives proves his courage in the face of an enemy and enables him to subdue his shame, no longer making it necessary to die a heroic death on the battlefield. With the possession of a mark of bravery, he now feels he has shown himself to be equally valiant as his comrades who have faced the Confederates. More importantly, "[h]is wound… [is] a safe, mitigated version of [a] mortal wounding, a spanking rather than a death" (Weiss 33). However, even though this sign of bravery that he has desired has alleviated his feeling of shame, Fleming realizes from his experiences with the dead soldier, Jim Conklin, the tattered soldier, and his own wound that war comes with no glory. Henry Fleming is able to "look back upon the brass and bombast of his earlier gospels and see them truly"(Crane 245).

When "he is hit on the head and receives his "red badge of courage," Henry… slough[s] off the… concept of heroism…, an outward sign… of his accomplishment in rejecting two thousand years of social and religious indoctrination [of heroism in war]" (Wolford 105). Fleming goes back to his regiment with his dreams of heroic deeds dispelled. When left dazed and in a great deal of pain from his head wound, a cheery man helps Fleming find his regiment, showing him an alternative to his heroic aspirations. Fleming, "with his chin still on his breast, stood woodenly by while his companion beat ways and means out of sullen things," guiding him back (Crane 137). "This allegorical figure [the cheery man]… integrates the youth [Fleming] again into the fraternity of men" by showing him the importance of relying on others, particularly those in his regiment (Knapp 81). The cheery soldier introduces a new perspective to Fleming concerning the importance of comrades to help endure difficult times.

Fleming looks back on his experiences after he returns to his regiment and feels that "[h]e had been to touch the great death and found that, after all, it was but the great death" (Crane 245) He asserts his understanding that there is no glory in death; it is simply an end to life. Fleming's "recent profound vision of death [with Jim Conklin and the tattered soldier] has left him eager for life" (Lavers 51). He now feels adamant that "[h]e [is] not going to be badgered of his life" (Crane 175). Rather than wishing to die as a hero, Henry Fleming desires to live. Along with this new appreciation for life, Fleming realizes, during the second day of battle, that he is "very insignificant" (Crane 188). He understands that he is but a mere soldier among hundreds of thousands (Williams 18). Fleming sees himself in the future recounting his days in the army with "his gaping audience picturing him as the central figure in blazing scenes…[but these images] would be destroyed" (Crane 163).

He realizes that he is not destined to be an individual hero. Instead, Fleming implies that he has reached the conclusion that the best way for him to survive the war is to fight alongside his comrades, an idea introduced to him by the cheery man. He says, "what more can we do?…[D]on't we fight like the devil? Don't we do all that men can?" (Crane 166-167). Fleming's use of the inclusive word "we" indicates that he has become more aware of his fellow soldiers and is now willing to do what he can to help his regiment, and thus himself, survive through the battle. This change in Fleming's outlook is also evident after returning to his camp when the loud soldier is helping the wounded Henry Fleming go to bed. The soldier lends Fleming his blanket to keep him warm during the night. However, Fleming notices this and says to the soldier"'[w]hat yeh goin' t' sleep in? I've got your…' The loud young soldier snarled: 'Shet up an' go on t' sleep'" (Crane 148).

Knapp notes that for "the first time he thinks of another person and not exclusively about himself. He… understands that he is neither better nor worse than the other men in the regiment. They are all made of the same fabric" (81). Fleming accepts his role as a soldier in the ranks of the army. During the morning of the second day of battle, the narrative during the charge in the skirmish shifts from focusing on Fleming to describing the movements of the regiment as a whole. The charge includes accounts such as "the regiment swung from its position" (Crane 192) and "the line lurched straight for a moment" (Crane 192). When the regiment makes contact with the Confederates, the Union flag carrier dies and Henry Fleming reaches out to catch the flag as it falls. He then assumes the role of color bearer. He possesses "a despairing fondness for this flag… It was a creation of beauty and invulnerability" (Crane 199). Fleming displays selflessness in his desire to save the flag, a symbol of the cause he is fighting for. "As color bearer, he [Fleming] cannot both fire a rifle and hold the flag.

By this circumstance Crane seems to affirm the youth's… progress toward maturity" (Williams 19). Fleming has completely discarded his self-centered notions of heroism to help his comrades by assuming the role of color bearer. "The flag episode is vital to the youth's psychological evolution" (Knapp 83). Fleming has matured into understanding the importance of fighting with his comrades. As Fleming inspires the men of his regiment by encouraging them forward, keeping "the bright colors to the front" (Crane 231), they reciprocate by fighting with a "wolflike temper" that protects him (Crane 209). Henry Fleming's desire to protect the flag and his comrades epitomizes his change from dreams of self-centered heroism to survival through an alliance with his fellow soldiers. In The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane suggests that society's reverence and near worshipping of individual soldiers as national heroes has caused a romantic glorification of war to develop. Crane cynically implies that this idealization of soldiers through stories of courageous men fighting and risking their lives to overcome and defeat the enemy has made war seem like a game to those who have never fought.

Thus, society places the burden on future soldiers to become heroes themselves even if it means dying in the process. He proposes that young soldiers often go to war simply with the purpose of fulfilling the expectations of their country, thinking that they must only win the game and thus become heroes. However, through Henry Fleming, Stephen Crane implies that when equipped only with a gun and stories of glorious triumphs, young soldiers are not ready to face the realities of war. He goes on to suggest that the changes that soldiers need to make to stand up to the challenges of war are traumatic, as one must see that there is no glory in war, simply death. "War, as he [Crane] depicts it, is a mean, nasty, horrible thing" (Critical Views: New York Times 25). To survive, soldiers must discard society's thoughts of individual heroism and instead come to realize that they, fighting along with their comrades, are but small parts in a great struggle. Works Cited Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage. 1895. Introduction Shelby Foote. New York: Modern Library, 2000.

"Critical Views: The New York Times on the Realism of Crane's Novel." Bloom's Notes: Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage. Ed. Harold Bloom. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House, 1996. 25-26. Horsford, Howard C. "He Was A Man." The American Novel: The Red Badge of Courage. Ed. Lee Clark Mitchell. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1986. 109-27. Knapp, Bettina L. Stephen Crane. New York: Ungar, 1987. Lavers, Norman. "Order in The Red Badge of Courage." Modern Critical Interpretations: Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage. Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1987. 43-53. McDermott, John J. "John J. McDermott On The Opening Scenes of The Red Badge of Courage." Bloom's Notes: Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage. Ed. Harold Bloom. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House, 1996. 44-5. Pease, Donald.

"Fear, Rage, and the Mistrials of Representation." Modern Critical Interpretations: Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage. Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1987. 75-97. Weiss, Daniel. "Psychology and The Red Badge of Courage." Modern Critical Interpretations: Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage. Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1987. 17-41. Williams, Tenley. "Thematic and Structural Analysis." Bloom's Notes: Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage. Ed. Harold Bloom. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House, 1996. 11-22. Wolford, Chester L. "The Epic of Consciousness: The Anger of Henry Fleming." Modern Critical Interpretations: Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage. Ed. Harold Bloom. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1987. 99-128. STAY CURRENT!

The Red Badge of Courage Chapters 1-4 Summary and Analysis | GradeSaver Summary Chapter 1 As The Red Badge of Courage opens, we do not know precisely where we are or whom we are watching. As the fog clears gradually, we see a part of the Union army upon a riverbank. Rumors are flying among the troops about their own movement. One tall soldier, named Jim but referred to mainly by his height, tells his comrades that he has heard, through several sources, that they will be on the move the next day. Arguments break out between the soldiers whether this rumor is true. The attention then shifts to another private named Henry. The narrator rarely refers to him by his first name, but rather as "the youth" or "the young soldier." He sits in his tent and thinks about the possibility of finally going into battle. Before joining the army, he dreamed of grand battles that "thrilled him with their sweep and fire," and he seems to desire a "Greeklike" or "Homeric" struggle. His mother had discouraged him from joining but he enlists anyway. When Henry finally leaves, his mother does not try to convince him to be a hero, as he expected.

Instead of an impassioned, beautiful scene, his mother gives him some simple advice. She tells him to be careful and not try to beat the entire rebel army himself and not to fall in with a bad group of soldiers. Then she adds: "I don't know what else to tell yeh, Henry, excepting that yeh must never do no shirking, child, on my account. If so be a time comes when yeh have to be kilt or do a mean thing, why, Henry, don't think of anything cept what's right." He leaves his mother, who cries softly as he goes, and joins his comrades on the way to Washington. Along the way, they are fed at every station and treated like heroes just for joining the fight. Then they train and drill often. Even though he has yet to taste battle, Henry assumes the war will not be a Greeklike struggle. The veterans he meet claim that the rebels are starving and tattered, but these same veterans taunt the new recruits, so Henry is unsure whether to trust them. Most of all, Henry is concerned that he will run when he finally faces a conflict.

He wants to be a hero, but his fears nag at him, making him doubt his own courage and mettle as he lies in his tent. Jim, the tall soldier, and another soldier, "the loud soldier," both come in to Henry's tent, still arguing about the rumor. Jim says they must be moving out because the cavalry have already moved out. Henry nervously asks Jim how he thinks their regiment will do and gets the vague answer that they will probably do well. Henry then asks if he thinks any of them will run when faced with a fight. Jim is confident that they will fight because they are from good stock; however, there is no way to tell since they have not yet been under fire. Henry finally asks Jim if he would run from the battle. Jim speculates that he might, especially if a whole group began to run. "But if everybody was a-standing and a-fighting, why, I'd stand and fight," he adds. These words comfort Henry as the first chapter ends. Chapter 2 Upon rising the next day, the soldiers discover that the rumor is not true and they are not moving out, as Jim Conklin , the tall soldier, had said. For Henry Fleming , this is not a relief.

His dilemma of whether or not he will run in battle is still present. Without a battle to test it, he has no idea if he will be courageous or cowardly. He begins to compare himself with other soldiers in an attempt to gain some confidence. He asks several soldiers questions trying to see if they have similar doubts and fears as he does; and he gets little confirmation of his anxieties in reply. His own feelings about his comrades are ambivalent, for sometimes he thinks them heroes, and sometimes he feels that they are all secretly scared. One morning, he finds himself in the ranks. His regiment is on the move. The early morning is full of colors: the men's uniforms glow purple, red eyes peer from across the river, and the sun slowly rises yellow in the east. The soldiers return to the validity of the rumors they heard the day before, especially when they turn a hill and find they are no longer along the river. Jim, the tall soldier, praises his powers of perception; others argue with him. Henry takes no part in these discussions. He is still despondent and sad. He keeps to himself, his feelings still ambivalent. The rest of the soldiers seem to be rather jolly.

A certain fat soldier attempts to steal a horse from a house. Its owner, a young woman, comes out to save it. The rest of the regiment jeers and yells at the fat soldier. He is beaten away from the horse and flees back into the soldiers, peppered with catcalls from his fellow troops. At night, the men pitch camp. Henry Fleming lies in the grass, thinking. He wishes more than anything to be back at home, with its barn and fields. He remembers his milk cows, which caused him so much grief previously, with a bit of joy and nostalgia. He tells himself that he is not fit to be a soldier, and he feels quite different from those soldiers around him who still seem happy and carefree. The loud soldier, who we learn is named Wilson , comes up to Henry, spouting exciting, confident statements about the upcoming battle. "We'll lick 'em good!" he repeats. His joy at the upcoming battle irritates Henry, who says bitterly that Wilson must think he will do great things.

Wilson replies that he does not know if he will do great things, but he will fight "like thunder." Henry then challenges Wilson, saying that he may well run when the battle comes, and that he is not the bravest person in the world. Wilson replies coolly that he never said he was, just that he will give his share of the fighting. Then he tells Henry he talks "as if you thought you was Napoleon Bonaparte." Henry retreats to his tent and hears the sound of card games outside. Exhausted from his ruminating, he falls asleep. Chapter 3 The regiment marches for another two days, picking up their pace on the last day. The men become tired, hot, and cranky. They leave some of their supplies behind, trying to lighten their load. They move quickly like veterans, but they still do not have the look of veterans, as their uniforms are too bright and new. One morning the tall soldier kicks Henry awake. The men are suddenly running in the fog. They hear the distant sounds of firing. Regiments and other men become gradually visible, as the sun rises and the fog begins to melt away. The regiment eventually climbs a hill.

As they get to its crest, Henry expects to see a battle scene. Below a skirmish is in progress. There are lines of fighters spread across the field, and a flag flutters. The skirmishers melt into the scene only to appear later on. Henry is engrossed, trying to observe everything. His own regiment is still in a wooded area. They eventually pass the body of a dead soldier. His uniform is yellow-brown and his shoe soles are paper-thin. The body enraptures Henry. Henry continues to think as the regiment marches. He feels threatened by the landscape. He sees it as full of fierce-eyed enemies. All of a sudden, he is full of distrust of his commanders. He is sure they have led the men into a trap. He must get out; he must be the sole eyes and ears aware of this danger. The overall mood of the troops is now very serious. They are facing a true test of their mettle very soon, and it affects them in different ways. Primarily, though, the untried men are quiet and absorbed, waiting to finally face war. They are first ordered to dig in, but are then ordered to pull back.

The soldiers become annoyed, asking why they were marched this much if they are not going to face the enemy. They are then moved to another position, then another. The anticipation starts to irk Henry, who wants to return to camp or go in a battle. The men eat their lunches and talk about their irritation. The loud soldier, Wilson, and the tall soldier, Jim, argue more about whether or not they are truly eager to fight. In the afternoon, the regiment goes over the land they took, the same land Henry looked at that morning. It no longer threatens the youth; he feels familiar with it. However, he keeps changing his mind about the upcoming battle. He begins to think that it is just better to be killed directly and end his troubles. Out of the corner of his eye, death seems like rest and appreciation, much better than the present circumstances of fear and uncertainty. As gray smoke rises above the regiment, Wilson prophetically lays his hand on Henry's shoulder and says, with a trembling lip, that this will be his first and last battle. He gives Henry a packet of letters to send to his family and then, in tears, turns away.

Chapter 4 The new regiment is now halted just inside a grove of trees, facing out into a field covered in smoke. They talk about rumors and reports from battles, who has lost what and moved where. As always, there is a disagreement about what has actually happened, this time to a Union battery. Then the noise and altercation in the field in front of them grows louder, and the new troops grow silent. The Union troops in the field of smoke begin to run. A shell screams overhead the new regiment, landing in the grove and throwing up a shower of pine needles. Bullets begin to fly towards them as well. The lieutenant of the youth's company is then shot in the hand. He curses as if he had hit his finger with a hammer, which sounds quite funny to the rest of the troops. Curiously, the lieutenant holds his wound away from his uniform so as not to stain it. The Union troops in the field begin to run away and the battle flag falls. The veteran regiments flanking the new troops catcall and jeer the fleeing men. Henry Fleming's regiment is dumbstruck with horror; they witnessed a regiment's defeat right before they are called to fight.

The officers try to get the running men to stop, using their swords, fists, and cursing to keep them back. They rage with fury at the retreating regiment. The commander of that brigade gallops about on his horse, weeping. He looks like "a man who has come from bed to go to a fire." The fleeing troops pay no attention to any of these officers as they run. This makes Henry sure he will run. Seeing the "mad current" of retreat swallow up the men's conscience, he is sure that he too will be driven wild and panic with battle. Yet, as the chapter ends, Henry resolves that now is the time he must see the "monster" that made them run, regardless if he runs himself. Analysis Though The Red Badge of Courage can easily be categorized as a war novel, the psychological overtones of the work take center stage even in the first few chapters. Relying on research rather than first-hand experience, Stephen Crane crafted a portrait of fear within the historical context of The Civil War. Many critics point to Crane as one of the first American authors to initiate a modern style, as exemplified by The Red Badge.

Crane’s third-person narrator, concentration on the impressionistic rendering of the natural world and the internal monologue of its protagonist add depth to the novel’s realistic tone, a style popularized in America by William Dean Howells and Frank Norris. However, Crane's style differs from that of his predecessors. For instance, the narrator does not name the characters outright, and the specific setting is never revealed. This serves Crane’s purpose of investigating the innerworkings of his main character, creating an allegorical or more universal quality in the text. Henry Fleming, identified as “the youth” is a newly enlisted boy with dreams of the glory of war. Calling Henry "the youth" is the most important indicator that this novel is centered on the evolution of Henry’s maturity and psychological development rather than a specific indictment or championing of war. In this first chapter, Henry is unproven even to himself. Before enlisting, the possibility of cowardice does not arise; he assumes battles are unwaveringly valiant struggles of life and death. He does not enlist because of an overwhelming sense of patriotism or even the will to fight, but rather due to his fantasies of heroic deeds.

His mother offers a more realistic assessment; rather than instruct him to emulate the Spartans and "return carrying your shield or on top of it" (meaning either victorious or killed in combat), she tells him to do only what he thinks is right. This is a critical moment in both the development of Henry’s character and the plot of the book. The tone here is much more ambivalent and the question of whether Henry will run or face battle becomes the focus of the narrative in the early chapters. Several tones are at work in The Red Badge – realism, irony and metaphor. Crane’s realistic tone manifests in Henry’s challenged perceptions of the war. He finds war is not as he imagined and the more time passes without being tested, the less certain he becomes of his own capability. Before he is ensnared in battle, Henry's feelings remain ambivalent and shifting. He almost always has some opinion or thought about battle, but they change often – from fear and dread upon seeing the battle, to anticipation of an actual fight, to frustration when the men are being withdrawn. Before their bluster is silenced by the battle, the young soldiers in the opening chapters talk amongst themselves in vernacular common to the time period, reinforcing the historically accurate aspects of the work.

Crane’s use of colloquial speech also adds a layer of humor to the talk of war. Henry’s shifting thoughts signal a tone of ironic detachment. His warped assessments of the world around him and his own mind, evident even in the early chapters, often run counter to what is being described by the narrator. Even the title itself signals the vein of irony running through the novel. "The red badge of courage" is a wound sustained in battle – the tangible proof of bravery. When a shell hits the lieutenant of Henry's company, note that he has no desire to play up the severity of the injury. He holds the wound away from him, not wanting to get blood on his uniform, not wanting red to mingle with the blue. To the lieutenant, redness alone is not a badge of courage. His wound was almost accidental and not the result of a show of glory. There are different levels of authenticity to the wounds and, as we see in the first chapter with Henry’s mother’s speech, courage is not guaranteed. Henry’s yearning for a “red badge” drives the narrative and, as we see later in the novel, it is delivered ironically.

Yet Crane has written into this novel a clear way to tell certain characteristics even without explicit direction from the narrator or Fleming - color metaphors. Crane uses color metaphors to imply certain psychological meanings. For example, Henry's mother's discouragement is described as throwing a "yellow light upon the color of his ambitions." The use of yellow here is deliberate; it refers to cowardice. This continues throughout the book, as many other color associations are repeatedly made - the "red eyes" of fire and imminent battle to imply danger; the black silhouette of a colonel on horseback to imply death or authority; and, most importantly, the gray of fog and uniforms to imply the unknown. Gray has a particular historical significance, as the uniforms of the Rebel army were gray. However, much like blue often relates not only to the literal color of the Union uniform but also to Henry's melancholy and brooding, Rebel gray also symbolizes the unknown of battle. The blue Union soldiers, who have been thinking about the implications of battle for days, are now faced with the enemy, both in the metaphor of the "blood-swollen god" of war and the Rebel army. The gray of smoke and fog symbolizes this unknown.

Henry also has a relationship with nature and Crane uses elements of nature to communicate themes and character. These two metaphors coalesce in the grey fog of the battle. Henry and his regiment do not see the battle clearly; they see it in a haze. This shows their lack of knowledge. The haze and gray colors represent the unknown of battle and the detachment they have experienced thus far. The Red Badge Of Courage Essay Examples | Kibin The Red Badge Of Courage Essay Examples 1,106 total results A Literary Analysis of the Red Badge of Courage The Red Badge of Courage from a historic perspective was written in regards to the American Civil war. The American civil war began in 1861 and lasted until 1865. During those five years brothers fought against brothers, fathers against there sons in what would be one of the most dramatic and brutal war ever fought. Not onl... 1,517 words The Theme of Courage in The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane Stephen Crane, before dying of tuberculosis at age 29, published several essays, novels, and even a volume of poetry. He also worked as a newspaper journalist for several different publications, including for William Randolph Hearst.

Crane published his most famous novel about the Civil War, The Red Badge of Courage, in 198... 1,406 words 3 pages Each Person Must Find Courage to Win Their Own Battle for Maturity in the Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane A Battle for Adulthood Throughout the novel The Red Badge of Courage, written by Stephen Crane, a theme is portrayed within a battle that takes place during the Civil War. It is that each person must find the courage to win his or her won battle for maturity or adulthood. A soldier, who is also the main character, Henry F... 412 words The Courage During War as Described in Stephen Crain's "The Red Badge of Courage" Stephen Crains The Red Badge Of Courage shows clearly how the fear and courage soldier goes through in war. The psychology in war changes the soldiers that are in it. Psychology can also be displayed by the propaganda the government will put into the one-sided war effort. Another point would be the pre-programming or insti... 627 words 1 page A Comparsion of The Red Thin Line by Terrence Malick and the Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane I recently watched The Thin Red Line.

Not the new, 1998 version however; accidentally picked up the 1964 black and white picture. The story line and plot going on in the movie is very hard to understand, and I read very different from the book The Thin Red Line, but I got the main gist of it. The main character in the... 710 words A Description of The Thin Red Line, the 1964 Black and White Picture Version I recently watched The Thin Red Line. Not the new, 1998 version however; accidentally picked up the 1964 black and white picture. The story line and plot going on in the movie is very hard to understand, and I read very different from the book The Thin Red Line, but I got the main gist of it. The main character in the movi... 715 words A Look into the Definition of Courage and Examples of Courage Webster defines courage as "the state, quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face his fears." Whether it is something that is difficult for everyone to do or something that is a personal obstacle in one's life, it is difficult to have courage. Courage is something great. Courage is something that one doesn't have un...

745 words Maturation in Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane exemplifies the theme of maturation. Henry Fleming begins as an immature youth, who believes he matures through his experiences of war, but he ends with the same immature ideals that he begins with. In the beginning of the novel, Henry Fleming is an immature youth. He has his mind... 672 words A Review of Stephen Crane's Novel The Red Badge of Courage The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, is a dramatic story about a young boy named Henry Fleming and his experiences during and at the civil war. When Henry first enlisted into the army he went through some pretty harsh times, he saw many of his fellow comrade’s die. As Henry moves forward in battle he matures and beco... 827 words Stephen Cranes' Use of Realism, Impressionism, and Symbolism in His Work Stephen Crane was an American author who has been lead to believe that he really first introduces the style of exposing the unfavorable conditions and war in America. Stephen Crane has been known for using an amount of impressionism, realism, and symbolism in his stories. Furthermore, it is his impressionism and realism tha...

1,966 words The Red Badge of Courage Quotes and Analysis | GradeSaver The Red Badge of Courage Quotes and Analysis "Whatever he had learned of himself was here of no avail. He was an unknown quantity." Narrator, p. 10 Before the first battle, new recruit Henry must grapple with a profound question regarding his courage (or lack thereof): will he, when faced with the enemy and the possibility of imminent, painful death, stand tall and fight or retreat in shame? Crane spends the rest of the novel in Henry's head, working through this debate and showing the consequences of what Henry eventually does do. This central question and Henry's grappling with it is one of the reasons why the novel is so lauded - it is extremely realistic and relatable. All young soldiers no doubt ponder whether or not they have what it takes to face death and carry out their orders. Henry smartly acknowledges that nothing in his comfortable life leading up to the war has prepared him for this moment. All human beings wonder if, when faced with terrible adversity, they have what it takes to remain calm, courageous, and committed to the task before them.

Although Henry's character flaws are quite manifest throughout the novel, his mere wondering about what he might do is not to be chided, for it is very understandable. His stream-of-consciousness ramblings and his back-and-forth musings may be annoying, but they are certainly believable and utterly human. "He vaguely desired to walk around and around the body and stare; the impulse of the living to try and read in dead eyes the answer to the Question." Narrator, p. 22 This is one of two incidents in which Henry comes face-to-face with a dead body. Here he and the other soldiers walk past the body lying on the ground, and, with striking clarity (especially when compared to the images of haze, mystery, and obfuscation that Henry often invokes), observes the dead man's shoes, feet, and beard. He is struck by this and cannot help but let his mind linger on the concrete reality of death. This is one early moment where the true terrible nature of war cuts through Henry's musings on glory and laurels and gives him pause; instead of imagining the possibility of being a Greek hero, he is wondering at the eternal mystery of life and death.

This one soldier has died and is only a decaying, pitiful body. Henry may very well be in the same position one day. However, at this point in the novel Henry is not at the level of maturity and wisdom he will display later on, and the corpse, and the larger question of death, fascinates him only for a minute. He is soon back to wondering whether or not he will run and trying desperately to discern in his fellow soldiers' faces what they might do. Here, his selfishness has trumps his inquisitiveness. "He became not a man but a member. He felt that something of which he was a part -a regiment, an army, a cause, or a country -was in a crisis. He was welded into a common personality which was dominated by a single desire." Narrator, p. 31 In this quote Henry articulates the feeling that, in battle, one is not so much an individual as a part of a larger organism. He was part of this "common personality", a part of a "subtle battle brotherhood" and a "mysterious fraternity born of the smoke and danger of death" (31).

He understands that he can do very little as one man; rather, the entire regiment acts as one and either wins or loses, succeeds or fails. The other men coalesce into one and fight together. However, this is not always the case, for Henry demonstrates that a soldier might still focus on his individual response to the war and split from the body. Henry deserts his regiment when he thinks they have lost, and ventures out on his own. He is alone in thought as well as in body. He did not act with the rest of the soldiers at this crucial moment. This is one of the main tensions in the novel - the nature of individuality vs. being part of a larger group (see Themes). "He, too, threw down his gun and fled. There was no shame in his face. He ran like a rabbit." Narrator, p. 37 All of Henry Fleming's wondering and speculation about whether or not he will run when faced with battle is decided in this moment: yes, he will run, and he does so without any hesitation. After thinking that he and his fellow Union soldiers have bested the Rebels, he is dismayed when the enemy charges towards them once more.

Henry exaggerates their fighting prowess to the extent that they no longer seem human - they are "machines of steel" (36) and "redoubtable dragons" (37). What finally prompts him into leaving the fray is when he sees another Union soldier, previously possessed with an expression of bravery, leap up and flee. Henry often takes his cues for thoughts and action from those around him, and this time he follows the lead of someone who lacks courage or conviction. Henry's choice to run is a crucial one, for it defines his pattern of thinking for the rest of the novel and is a major factor in the evolution of his character. No matter what heroics he achieves later, the reader knows that he had a moment of profound cowardice. One of the great questions the novel poses is how much this early failure matters in light of his later experience. "'Well, then!' bawled the man in a lurid rage. He adroitly and fiercely swung his rifle. It crushed upon the youth's head. The man ran on." Narrator, p. 62 Henry craves his own "red badge of courage", a battle wound, and here he finally gets one.

He expressed envy of the soldiers that had been injured, even though, like Jim Conklin, such wounds often led to death. Henry does not seem to be able to distinguish between the reality of a wound and the symbol of a wound, the latter an emblem of glory, heroism, and pride. Of course, Henry is not the only soldier to conceive of a wound as such, and this is one of the ways Crane's novel rings true. Soldiers want to prove that they are manly, bold, and have sacrificed themselves to the cause. They want to hide their fears and their doubts. Henry feels left out and rightly so, for he is not part of the group that can claim they gave their all for the war. This accidental red badge that Henry gets makes a mockery out of the wounds the other men procure. It is from the butt of a rifle, not the bullet inside. Henry has entered the elite pantheon, but in false fashion. When he decides to pass the wound off as legitimate, he indulges his worst traits of immaturity, hypocrisy, and pride. "The youth took note of a remarkable change in his comrade since those days of camp life upon the river bank.

He seemed no more to be continually regarding the proportions of his personal prowess. He was not furious at small words that pricked his conceits. He was no more a loud young soldier. There was about him now a fine reliance. He showed a quiet belief in his purposes and his abilities. And this inward confidence evidently enabled him to be indifferent to little words of other men aimed at him." Narrator, p. 73 Wilson, previously a loud and boisterous soldier, has been humbled by his experiences in the war. Before the battle he was content to boast and brag, although he also displayed a touching immaturity and anxiety when he gave Henry his packet of letters. After the battle, however, he is shown to have gained a new maturity, a new quietness and graveness. He is a kind nurse to the irritable Henry and can look at his surroundings with a clear eye. He has gained the wisdom that comes from being placed squarely in an environs of intense strife and finding the ability within to withstand the most taxing of circumstances. He learned that the desire for fame or glory was silly, and that war was far from glamorous. His attainment of maturity makes him an apposite foil for the immature Henry.

Henry is still young and arrogant; he is also a liar and a coward. Wilson's progression exemplifies the move from boy to man. "His self-pride was now entirely restored. In the shade of its flourishing growth he stood with braced and self-confident legs, and since nothing could now be discovered he did not shrink from an encounter with the eyes of judges, and allowed no thoughts of his own to keep him from an attitude of manfulness. He had performed his mistakes in the dark, so he was still a man." Narrator, p. 76 Taken out of context, this quote might be seen as referring to Henry's feelings after he captured the flag or after he proved himself in the second battle. However, it comes after he has received his fraudulent "red badge of courage" - the rifle butt to the head - and experienced the pleasure of feeling superior when Wilson sheepishly asked for his packet of letters back. Henry's pride is completely false; he has lied and turned the lie into a truth so powerful that he now believes it. His formidable denial has allowed him to repress the shame that surrounded his flight from battle and any misgivings he might have had about passing off his fake wound as a real one.

While the human mind's capacity to ignore troublesome events and thoughts is a reality, and Henry's doing so is understandable, that does not excuse the fact that Henry is, in truth, very unlikeable. That indeed is one of the difficulties readers face with this text - how to come to terms with a protagonist who may be believable and who finds himself in situations that elicit sympathy, but who is, in the end, immature, callow, superficial, and prideful. "He had thought of a fine revenge upon the officer who had referred to him and his fellows as mule drivers. But he saw that it could not come to pass. His dreams had collapsed when the mule drivers, dwindling rapidly, had wavered and hesitated on the little clearing, and then had recoiled. And now the retreat of the mule drivers was a march of shame to him." Narrator, p. 97 Henry is frightened and dismayed when he and Wilson accidentally hear that the regiment is considered disposable - mere "mule drivers". This comment, rather than any sense of personal pride or pride in the cause, is what compels Henry to fight hard during the battle and procure the flag.

Here he expresses his disappointment that the superior officer who identified his regiment as expendable seemed to be right; he is upset that his fellow soldiers have not performed the way he wanted them to and proven the officer wrong. However Henry's bitter realization does compel him to spur on his brethren and encourage them to keep fighting. He even maintains his cool in front of Wilson, and tells him to shut up and continue to fight. Wilson for a moment loses his supremacy. It seems that while Henry may often lack the proper motivation (here his motivation stems from wounded pride), he can still accomplish good deeds. "The impetus of enthusiasm was theirs again. They gazed about them with looks of uplifted pride, feeling new trust in the grim, always confident weapons in their hands. And they were men." Narrator, p. 100 Henry's great fear that he and his fellow soldiers truly were mule drivers is put to rest in this moment. Partly thanks to his own petulant but effective words of encouragement and criticism, they are able to triumph over the Rebels. Their abject shame has been replaced by pride. They realize that they have finally achieved what most young boys who go into the military seek to attain: manhood.

They can call themselves men for persevering in the face of tremendous odds and, although all except Henry and Wilson knew this, defy the erroneous conclusions made by their superiors that they were not effective warriors. The desire to become a man colors this text. Henry is very childish and whether or not he matures into a man by the end remains one of the central questions of the text. The narrator claims he does, but a definitive conclusion is elusive. Wilson's path to manhood is shorter but more definite. Nevertheless, all of the young men in this battle demonstrate that they are more courageous, more discerning, and more persevering than they were previously. "It was perhaps that they dreaded to be killed in insignificant ways after the times for proper military deaths had passed. Or, perhaps, they thought it would be too ironical to get killed at the portals of safety." Narrator, p. 101 Despite having no battle experience, Crane skillfully depicts the very realistic thoughts in the minds of soldiers. The soldiers have come from a terrible battle and feel heroic and manly. They do not want to die in a manner that would not befit their new stature.

They do not want to have survived such a horrific fight to be killed right at the point of safety. This rings true for anyone who has survived something terrible or taxing only to be struck down at the moment of relaxation and safety. Throughout the novel Crane is able to limn moments of striking relatability and accessibility. Readers may not have any war experience, but the thoughts and feelings expressed by the young soldiers are perfectly understandable and are no doubt close to what everyone would express in similar situations. Thus, while Henry is certainly an obnoxious and annoying character at times, readers must grudgingly admit that his fears are their fears, his doubts and worries their own as well. Red Badge 2: Character Analysis: 1.

Begin by viewing the clip titled ï¿½Two Days in the Life of Henry Fleming.ï¿½ ï¿½The narrator observes, ï¿½He fancies himself a hero until the stark reality of the battlefield hits him.ï¿½ Henry is suddenly faced with the key question of his lifeï¿½and of the bookï¿½will he measure up?ï¿½ï¿½ What evidence can you find in the novel to support this claim that Henry is uncertain about the skill and bravery that are required of a soldier in the midst of war? ï¿½ 2. View the clip titled ï¿½Stephen Crane: Author of The Red Badge of Courage.ï¿½ The narrator points out that The Red Badge of Courage was written over thirty years after the Civil War by a young author who had never been near a battlefield in his life. Still, critics and readers were amazed at the realistic and accurate portrayal of the events and of the feelings that the soldiers must have felt as they prepared for battle.

How do you think Stephen Crane was able to provide such a realistic view of Civil War battles and the thoughts and emotions of the young men who served in the armies?ï¿½ What kinds of resources do you think he used to create this realistic image?ï¿½ Do you think that the fact that he never fought in a war himself diminishes the impact of his novel? Explain. 3. Henry Fleming continues to wonder if he has the courage to stand and fight when his regiment is called to battle. Watch the video clip titled ï¿½A Soldierï¿½s Doubt: Do I Have What it Takes to Fight?ï¿½ and listen to the comments by veterans of other wars in American history. In what ways do you think that the experience of war is universal and that the situations in which soldiers find themselves are similar, regardless of the dates and locations in which these wars have been fought. Using specific references from the novel, explain what Crane meant when he wrote, ï¿½He became not a man but a member. He felt the subtle battle brotherhood, more potent even than the cause for which they were fighting. It was a mysterious fraternityï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ 4.

The video clip titled ï¿½The Vulnerability of the Infantryman: Henry Deserts the Armyï¿½ depicts a pivotal moment in the novel. In this scene, Henry becomes frightened by the battle and retreats for safety. The narrator observes, ï¿½There could be no worse failure. Henry is appalled at himself. Even worse, he is mistaken for one of the wounded.ï¿½ï¿½ Using what you know about Henryï¿½s character, why do you think that his situation is made worse by the fact that others mistake him for a wounded soldier?ï¿½ As Henry thinks about the events that led to his retreat from the battle lines, how does he justify his actions? Historical Context: Even though Stephen Craneï¿½s novel seems to be a portrayal of the Civil War experience in general, he did use some specifics of the Battle of Chancellorsville as the foundation for his story.

Two video clips in the unitedstreamingï¿½ library deal specifically with this battleï¿½ ï¿½The Battle of Chancellorsvilleï¿½ from The Red Badge of Courage video and ï¿½Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia (May 1-4, 1863)ï¿½ from a video titled American Civil War: The War Years. You may also want to explore the information about this battle that the National Park Service maintains on its website. There is a link to this site at the end of this project sheet. After you watch these two clips and examine information from other resources, discuss the factual details from this 1863 battle that Crane has included in his novel. What factual details from the battle differ from the narrative in the novel?ï¿½ Why do you think Crane used this particular battle as the setting for his story? Figurative Language and Imagery: Start by watching the video clip titled ï¿½Craneï¿½s Portrayal of the Realities of War.ï¿½ The narrator suggests that The Red Badge of Courage represents a significant development in American Literature for many reasons.

It was one of the first novels to portray the emotions of war as experienced by a young soldier on the front lines. The novel is also important for the ways in which Crane uses irony, figurative language, color imagery, and symbolism to depict the fears and uncertainties that Henry Fleming feels as he tries to measure himself against the other soldiers. As you locate and analyze examples of Craneï¿½s use of figurative language, you will begin to understand his larger purpose in writing the novel. Be sure to include the actual passage, your explanation of the literary device that Crane has used in the passage, and your analysis of the significance of the words in relation to the novel. A sample has been provided: Historic Photographs as Primary Documents: The Civil War was the first major event in American history to be documented with photography. The sample at the right is taken from a collection of photographs maintained by the Library of Congress and made available from the unitedstreamingï¿½ Image Library . Complete one or more of the following activities using selected pictures: Activity One: Select a photograph from the Image Library that depicts an individual soldier or a group of soldiers in a camp or battle scene.

Study the appearance of a selected soldier and his surroundings, and then compose an original letter that might portray the hopes and fears that this individual might have felt in the midst of war. The letter might be addressed to a family member or perhaps a loved one from the soldierï¿½s hometown. Be sure to use details from the novel, the video clips and other Internet resources that may be available to you. Activity Two: Select several photographs from the Image Library and create an oral presentation or classroom museum exhibit that explores one specific aspect of the war experience. For example, you might focus on the conditions in the soldierï¿½s camps, weapons, daily life in the army, or the medical facilities available on the battle scenes. Besides the details that you observe in the photographs, be sure to include background information taken from the novel and other resources that you use in your research.ï¿½ If you choose to give an oral presentation, you may want to use multimedia software such as PowerPoint, HyperStudio, or Appleworks to organize your presentation as an electronic slide show.ï¿½ If you choose to create a classroom exhibit, you could choose to print the images or you might display them on a classroom computer if one is available.

Activity Three:ï¿½ Most of the Civil War photographs were taken by Matthew Brady and other photographers who served as members of his team. Many of the pictures they created were first published in newspapers ad they helped readers from around the country to visualize the battle sites and the causalities that came as a result of each battle.ï¿½ Research the methods and techniques of these pioneering photographers and create a presentation in which you compare the ways that these men covered the Civil War for the newspapers of their time with the ways that modern journalists have covered more recent events such as the conflicts in the Middle East. Additional Internet Sites: There are many excellent websites devoted to the Red Badge of Courage, the life and writing style of Stephen Crane, and the battles of the Civil War. The brief list of sites below may be a good starting place for you as you complete some or all of these activities: unitedstreamingï¿½ The video and digital image libraries available here are the basis for each of these supplemental activities and projects. If you do not have a student account, please ask your teacher for instructions as to how you can get access to these resources.

The Red Badge of Courageï¿½Digital Version This is the link to the full electronic text to The Red Badge of Courage that is published on a website sponsored by Project Gutenberg. Remember that if you use any of the text from this site, be sure to give the proper citation in the bibliography or ï¿½Works Citedï¿½ section of your project. Instructions as to how to do this are included on the site. This is the home page for the Library of Congress collection of photographs relating to all aspects of the Civil War. The site contains samples of the work by Matthew Brady, Timothy Oï¿½Sullivan, and many other photographers. National Park Service One of the functions of the National Park Service is to maintain historic battlefield sites around the country. Here you will find links to information about all of the major Civil War Battlefields and the people who fought in the battles.ï¿½ This is a good place to lookï¿½ for additional details about the battle of Chancellorsville and other Civil War events.

The Red Badge of Courage Characters - eNotes.com The Red Badge of Courage Characters link Link Henry Fleming Henry Fleming, a young recruit under fire for the first time in an unnamed battle of the Civil War, possibly Chancellorsville. A farm boy whose struggle with his emotions might be that of the eternal recruit in any battle of any war, Henry has dreamed of fighting heroically in “Greeklike” battles. Irritated and unnerved by his regiment’s inactivity, he tortures himself with the fear that he may run away when the actual firing begins. He does so. Sheepishly rejoining his regiment, he learns that his cowardice is not known to his fellow soldiers. In the next attack, he keeps firing after the others have stopped. When a color-bearer falls, he picks up the flag and carries it forward. Later, he hears that the colonel has complimented his fierceness. Henry’s psychological battle with himself is now ended; it has gone from fear to cowardice to bravery and, finally, to egotism. Jim Conklin Jim Conklin, “the tall soldier,” a veteran who comforts Henry and squabbles with the braggart Wilson.

He predicts that the regiment is about to move into battle. When it does so, he is mortally wounded. Henry and “the tattered man” find him stumbling to the rear, still on his feet, fearful of falling under the wheels of an artillery wagon. He wanders into a field, as if it were a place of rendezvous with death. Henry and the tattered man follow him, trying to bring him back. He brushes them off and, with a great convulsion, drops dead. Wilson Wilson, “the loud one.” At first, he seems confident, absolutely sure of his courage. As the battle begins, he suddenly thinks he may be killed, and he turns a packet of letters over to Henry Fleming. After the first attack, he asks for the return of the letters. Some of his loudness and swagger is now gone. He and Henry struggle to get the flag from the fallen color-bearer. Henry seizes it, but Wilson aids him in going forward and setting an example to the wavering troops. “The Tattered Man,” “The Tattered Man,” a soldier encountered by Henry Fleming just after he has run away. The man embarrasses the recruit by asking where he is wounded.

Later, he and Henry follow Jim Conklin into the field. The soldier is so impressed by the manner of Jim’s death that he calls the dead man a “jim-dandy.” Then he cautions Henry to “watch out fer ol’ number one.” Lieutenant Hasbrouck Lieutenant Hasbrouck, a young officer of Henry Fleming’s company. He is shot in the hand in the early part of the battle but is able to drive a fleeing soldier back into the ranks and tries vainly to stop the disorganized retreat. He later compliments Henry and Wilson by calling them “wild cats.” Colonel MacChesnay Colonel MacChesnay, the officer who also compliments Henry Fleming and Wilson. He is berated by the general, shortly after Henry’s advance with the flag, for not forcing the partial success of the charge to a complete one. Start Free Trial Start your free trial with eNotes to access more than 30,000 study guides. Get help with any book.

Question: Henry Fleming is the narrator and hero of which 1894 war novel?
Answer: The Red Badge of Courage