Detailed Analysis of Stephen Crane's 'The Red Badge of Courage'

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Rreligious Symbolism in the Novel

When Crane introduces Henry’s life before he enlisted, it is clear that his family was very religious. When his mother prepared to send him to fight, she told him to do the right things, and “the Lord’ll take keer of [them] all” (Crane 9). Henry’s mother seemed to believe the Lord watches her family and was always with them. When Henry joined the army, he met a soldier named Jim Conklin, whose initials introduced the symbolism of Jesus Christ. When the regiments began fighting, Henry was separated from Jim. When they were reunited, Jim was shot and clearly in bad physical condition. His movements were described to be “ritelike” and “there was a resemblance in him to a devotee of a mad religion, blood-sucking, muscle wrenching, bone-crushing” (Crane 79). The comparison to a “mad religion” further develops the idea that Jim represents a religious figure. When Jim died, “the red sun was pasted in the sky like a wafer” (Crane 80). Since communion wafers are believed to have the body and spirit of Jesus, the comparison of the sun to a wafer symbolizes Jim going to heaven and watching Henry from above. This connects to Henry’s mother’s belief that God is always watching from above.

The Meaning of the “Red Badge” of Courage

A “red badge” of courage is a wound from battle. During an early battle, when Henry looked at the soldiers around him, he envied them, wishing “that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of courage” (Crane 74). This quotation shows that a “red badge” of courage is a wound that serves as a medal, since it represents a soldier’s courage and will to fight for his side. Although Henry repeatedly saw men suffering on the battlefield, he continued to wish for a wound, since he highly valued his pride.

Henry’s Need for a “Red Badge” of Courage

After Henry fled during his first battle, he was insecure and worried he would be seen as a coward. Although his goal was to be looked at as a hero, he did not put effort into achieving this title, as he ran away from his first battle. Henry was convinced that if he had a wound, he would be considered a hero, since it would serve as proof that he fought bravely. In a later battle, Henry asked a fleeing soldier why the army was retreating. Henry’s continuous questions angered the soldier, and he hit Henry’s head with his rifle. When Henry returned to his regiment, he pretended the bump on his head was caused by a bullet. He told Wilson there was “ter’ble fightin’ [and] over on th’ right, [he] got shot. In the head” (Crane 104). This quotation shows that Henry desperately wanted a wound so he could defend himself if his bravery was every questioned. This once again shows Henry initially only cared about the way he was viewed, and was not actually passionate about fighting in the war.

Reasons Why Are Characters Given Descriptive Names of Characters

The characters are given descriptive names, such as “the loud soldier”, “the tall soldier”, “the youth”, “the lieutenant” or “the colonel” instead of specific names, since it allows the novel to narrate the common story of a general soldier instead of a specific situation. Stephen Crane’s ‘The Red Badge of Courage’ was unique, since it portrayed the civil war realistically instead of glorifying it. When Henry went to the forest after running away from his first battle, he encountered a dead body, and “feared that if he turned his back the body might spring up and stealthily approach him” (Crane 66). This quotation shows that fighting can negatively affect soldiers’ mental health. This further shows that Crane wanted to make his story general, since by describing the negative aspects of war, Crane’s novel allows soldiers to relate and feel realistically represented.

Henry’s Courage Lessons from the Tall Soldier, the Tattered Man, and the Kind Man

The tall soldier exposed Henry to the harsh reality of war by being shot and dying dramatically. As Henry watched Jim, his face “twisted into an expression of every agony he had imagined for his friend” (Crane 80). Henry was emotionally torn by the tall soldier’s death, and was forced to move on and fight other battles. This showed Henry that in order to be courageous, he needed to be able to witness horrific events and move on from them.

The tattered man displayed courage by holding on to life and being motivated to stay alive. When Henry worried that he the tattered man would die, he replied by telling him he’s “not goin’t’ die yit! There’s too much depending on [him] fer [him] t’ die” (Crane 82-83). The tattered man shows Henry that he is brave by being confident and displaying a positive attitude. He values his life and doesn’t want to die regardless of the difficult war conditions.

The kind man taught Henry that it was possible to have a positive mindset during war. Even though the kind man also saw numerous dead bodies and wounded soldiers, he talked to Henry in a friendly manner and whistled “[cheerfully] and [audaciously] as [he] strode away” (Crane 102). This positive behavior stood out to Henry, since most of the soldiers were weary and did not have energy. The kind man’s personality taught Henry that it was important to not be extremely absorbed in sorrow and stress, and those who were courageous were able to care for their mental health.

Comparative Analysis and Contrasting Wilson and Henry

Initially, Wilson and Henry were both prideful, and hoped to be war heroes. However, Wilson was loud and bragged often while Henry kept his thoughts to himself, and was internally insecure about is true bravery. When Henry questioned Wilson about if he would run during the battle, he told him he’s “not going to skedaddle. The man that bets on [his] running will lose his money” (Crane 26). The quotation demonstrates Wilson’s overconfident attitude in the beginning of the novel. He didn’t seem to understand the difficulties of fighting, and he boasted about his bravery. Before his first battle, Henry also dreamed of being a war hero, and “imagined peoples secure in the shadow of his eagle-eyed prowess” (Crane 6). Henry wished to save people and be considered a hero. However, he did not discuss these dreams, since he realized his courage was never tested to this extent, and he was worried he would run when faced with a battle. Henry asked other soldiers about running in an attempt to not feel alone, but he never expressed his worry, and even faked a bullet wound to hide his fear.

The harsh reality of war changed both characters. Wilson became humble and kinder, while Henry developed passion and interest to fight in the war instead of only aiming to be called a hero. When Henry returned to his regiment, he was greeted kindly by Wilson. When Henry pointed out his wound, Wilson took care of him and displayed motherly characteristics. He didn’t boast, and even broke up fights between other soldiers. Henry also changed by developing confidence and genuine interest in the war. During one of the final battles, Henry “resolved not to budge whatever should happen” (Crane 172). This quotation demonstrates Henry’s dramatic change, since he was determined to stay and fight, as opposed to his first battle, where he ran away. Henry did not constantly think about his image, and fought because he was actually interested and passionate.

Differences Between Battle Leaders and Common Soldiers

Crane shows that the leaders of battle act in a cocky manner and do not value the lives of the common soldiers. When Henry and Wilson tried to find water, they overheard the general’s conversation, where he was asked if he could sacrifice a regiment. The general replied by saying regiment 304 “fight like a lot ‘a mule drivers. [He could] spare them best of any” (Crane 140). This quotation shows the general does not value the lives of the common soldiers, and doesn’t believe they are as important as he is. He regards them like objects and doesn’t even consider their well being. However, many common soldiers have families and friends at home, and are motivated to get home safely. For example, even though the tattered soldier was severely injured, he claimed he would not die, since there was “too much depending on [him]” (Crane 83). This quotation demonstrates the difference in the way leaders and common soldiers value life, since the tattered soldier valued his well being, while the general was willing to sacrifice a regiment.

Use of Animal Symbolism

Crane uses animals as symbols to describe Henry’s instincts and show how he changed. Henry fled during his first battle. When he found out the Union soldiers won, he was angry and feared he would be considered a coward. To collect his thoughts, he went deep into a forest until the sounds of war faded away. There, he threw a pinecone at a squirrel, and was happy to see it run away. He believed “Nature had given him a sign [since] the squirrel, immediately upon recognizing danger, had taken to his legs without ado” (Crane 65). This squirrel’s actions relieved Henry, since he felt that his decision to run away was justified, and running away from danger was a natural impulse. Henry’s thought process shows that his goal was to be a hero since he felt obligated to convince himself he was not cowardly. In the beginning stages of his experience as a soldier, he was not passionate about the war, and just wanted to be able to amaze his friends and family with war stories. As Henry observed other soldiers and continued fighting, he developed more passion and fought hard without aiming for a heroic title. In a later battle, “When the enemy seemed falling back before [Henry] and his fellows, he went instantly forward, like a dog, who, seeing his foes lagging, turns and insists upon being pursued” (Crane 133). In this battle, Henry took the offensive side and attacked the enemy with rage instead of being afraid. The comparison of Henry’s actions to those of a dog shows that Henry’s actions came naturally to him. As opposed to Henry’s behavior in his first battle, where he feared the enemy and retreated, Henry was passionate about the war and acted as a leader and role model.

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Detailed Analysis of Stephen Crane’s ‘The Red Badge of Courage’

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