Category: The Red Badge of Courage

Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage, one of the most renowned war books of the nineteenth century, can likewise be examined outside of the figure of speech of military writing and along a mental course. Crane’s epic follows the excursion of youthful fighter Henry Fleming and his battle to develop from a juvenile vanity and extreme self-love notwithstanding a coldhearted and frequently fierce physical truth of war and nature just as the certainty of death that joins it. Right now, the subject of nature’s aloofness to human lives and the effect it has on Crane’s character eventually stamps mental fighting other than a physical one. Although the novel finishes on a hopeful note that Henry has, finally, become a ‘changed man,’ this paper tries to contend that Henry’s change from naiveté and vanity to a supposed development, particularly concerning death, is not a straightforward and exhaustive move yet rather unobtrusive and to a great extent deficient. Accordingly, however, perusers can conclusively highlight physical instances of Henry’s military triumphs and heroics before the finish of the novel, his mental fight can’t be closed as solidly. Henry’s transition, at that point, is represented as a confounded procedure with no precise ‘endpoint’: however his recently discovered mental attitude of nature’s existence is self-expressed, Henry’s definitive mental state can simply be viewed as a blend between his mind-boggling narcissism and the chilly reality war has educated him. His change, hence, isn’t as one dimensional as the content would persuade.

From the beginning of the novel, perusers can quickly take note of Henry’s energetic naiveté and sentimental origination of military life and war. Notwithstanding his mom’s dismal words, ‘I know how you are… you are just one little feller amongst a hull lot of others,’ (Crane 8), Henry takes an egotistical mentality into his military obligations when unmistakably the truth of a trooper was the polar opposite: unconcerned with distinction. This perspective is summarized in the storyteller’s words, ‘Whatever he had learned of himself was here of no avail. He was an unknown quantity’ (Crane 8). Furthermore, envisioning a military way of life of the Greek saints of old occasions, Henry views himself as independently deserving of consideration and recognition before his first fight even starts. The storyteller expresses this mentality, saying, ‘He had burned several times to enlist. Tales of great movements shook the land. They might not be distinctly Homeric, but there seemed to be much glory in them. He had read of marches, sieges, conflicts, and he had longed to see it all’ (Crane 10). Toward the start of the novel it shows up as though Henry considers his to be in the military as not a necessary chore (a triumph in the war), yet an end in itself. Henry is depicted as too youthful to even think about grasping the chilly truth of what a vocation in war involves. Dreading real obligation and as opposed to making a special effort to not show up weak to different fighters, Henry is just worried about his outward appearance to other people: obligation isn’t as significant as oneself envisioned brilliance and party that accompanies essentially being known as a warrior.

For instance, this arrogance that Henry at first takes into his selection is described in Crane’s spin-off of the novel, where Henry is thinking back on his military profession. Henry portrays his egotism, expressing, ‘I thought they were all shooting at me. Yes, sir, I thought every man in the other army was aiming at me in particular, only me’ (Dillingham citing Crane 195). The way that Crane puts such an accentuation on Henry’s significant individual characteristics this from the get-go in the novel encourages perusers to consider Henry’s to be as a double mental war, instead of a physical one. Also, this emphasis on Henry’s powerlessness to acknowledge the cold and detached portrayal of war and society that plays so unmistakably in the remainder of the novel fills in as proof of a customized inward fight that Henry faces: the way that there is a whole other world to the war than physical courage and valor.

Notwithstanding, at a pivotal point in the novel, Henry encounters a microcosmic picture of the certain reality not just of the military, however life all in all when he sees the cadaver of a warrior in his regiment lying on the ground during a fight. This brutal picture of the gathering idea of life and carelessness of nature attempts to undermine Henry’s silly feeling of grandiosity that he has held hitherto. Henry makes an association with the cool aloofness of nature to individuals as he notes after a fight, ‘It was surprising that nature had gone tranquility on with her golden process in so much devilment’ (Crane 52). Right now, the warrior’s carcass, similar to nature’s sun, is a component in the scene; no human mediation or heroics can end man’s inescapable demise. This concise snapshot of acknowledgment lights up the absolute opposite to Henry’s attitude: that physical figments and appearances of wonder don’t make a difference; he also will encounter the inescapable destiny of the dead fighter and the remainder of the world will proceed, totally undisturbed by the occasion. Regardless of Henry’s seeing this feeling of naturalism depicted in war, the storyteller takes note of the individual level at which Henry sees this vital occasion expressing, ‘…upon his face there was an astonished and sorrowful look as if he thought some friend had done him an ill turn’ (Crane 52 accentuation included). The storyteller’s attention on the way that Henry saw this all-inclusive subject, yet did so totally as far as himself—as though nature’s impassion to the officer by one way or another was by and by incurred on him—is proof of to what extent Henry needed to venture out on his course to the acknowledgment of this naturalism busy working; he despite everything sees occasions exclusively as far as himself.

The storyteller later depicts Henry’s attention on death from the point of view that features this subject of the irrelevance of people, expressing that the cadavers ‘…lay twisted in fantastic contortions. Arms were bent and heads were turned in incredible ways. It seemed that the dead men must have fallen from some great height to get into such positions. They looked to be dumped out upon the ground from the sky’ (Crane 53). Once more, the decision of the words ‘dumped from the sky’ explicitly features nature’s finished lack of concern for people, particularly during wartime. These lines again encourage Henry to see past his hopeful perspective on gaudiness. As observed through his own eyes during this scene, however, his companions may see his demise, nature absolutely would not.

Regardless of this snapshot of brief revelation, in any case, although Henry effectively partakes in increasingly military obligations and fights, he keeps on misleading everyone around him and keep his feeling of vanity as opposed to tolerating this naturalistic reality. This feeling of narcissism is featured in Henry’s proceeded with daydreams of individual greatness. Henry continues seeing ‘…Swift pictures of himself, apart, yet in himself, came to him—a blue desperate figure leading lurid charges with one knee forward and a broken blade high— a blue, determined figure standing before a crimson and steel assault, getting calmly killed on a high place before the eyes of all. He thought of the Magnificent pathos of his dead body’ (Crane 84). Once more, these lines show that Henry despite everything puts stock in the centrality of his passing and an individual wonder that he accepts will accompany it. Maybe the most noticeable sign that Henry despite everything still can’t seem to get a handle on the truth of his irrelevance is the episode where he deceives his regiment about getting his own ‘red badge of courage.’ After being inadvertently struck by the knob end of a weapon by a part in his regiment, Henry misleads his officers, rather than revealing to them that he had been shot. Crane underlines the weakness of Henry’s activities, permitting perusers to see his failure to change from his pompous previous self. Crane alludes to Henry’s lie about his physical issue, expressing that he had now started to wear ‘the sore badge of his dishonor’ (Crane 58). The sheer significance that Henry puts on the possibility of a fight wound is a demonstration of his mentality. Henry without a doubt considers these to be of mental fortitude as confirmation of military magnificence that he so urgently looks for: an image of fearlessness as well as a whole worth framework that nature disregards totally. Henry can’t deal with the unimportance of individual fight wounds or people in the fabulous plan of war and reality when all is said in done.

As per pundit John McDermott, this episode of Henry’s misdirection over a fight twisted to acquire what he sees as ‘glory’ isn’t just Crane’s depiction of a war-time event, yet an occasion that has significance in Henry’s mental battle. Further, McDermott battles that Crane’s depiction of the episode it intentional in portraying the deficient battle and excursion that Henry makes all through the novel in his failure to relinquish his conceit and stupid military vanity. McDermott states, “The total symbol of Fleming’s wound, meticulously constructed by Crane in this central portion of the novel, thus becomes the principal device by which he manages to embody the complicated development of his unsophisticated hero. If Crane had attempted to present too directly the necessarily confused thoughts of the rather inarticulate and intellectually limited character he might have… an unrealistic psychological portrait. But in its multiplicity, his symbol is the perfect vehicle to convey gracefully the complexities and ironies of his limited character’s psychological development” (McDermott 327).

In this manner, concurs McDermott, Henry’s proceeded with demonstrations of self timidity even with his involvement in nature’s cool reality—explicitly the lie over the red identification—delineate that however, Henry looks gutsy and fair outwardly, his falsehood holds hugeness in indicating his character’s actual disjunction in his own ‘war’ of improvement. A lot more instances of this disjunction between Henry’s military headway versus his mental level happen all through the remainder of the novel, where it shows up outwardly that Henry is at long last taking on further military obligations and achievements. Henry is turning into a veteran trooper and readily dedicates himself completely to fight, apparently unafraid of the threats and danger of death that war conveys. Be that as it may, Henry’s feeling of vanity can’t be shaken off. For instance, in one of the last fight scenes, Henry features this powerlessness to relinquish his self-important blemish when he catches an of her maxim that his regiment will likely be lost in the up and coming fight. Henry disapproves and stuns in hearing his regiment alluded to in such an underestimating way, thinking, ‘…the most startling thing was to learn suddenly that he was very insignificant. The officer spoke of the regiment as if he referred to a broom’ (Crane 172). Henry at that point envisions that if this official were to see his cadaver, it would some way or another fill in as a definitive type of vengeance for offering these remarks. The storyteller includes, ‘It was his idea, vaguely formed, that his corpse would be for those eyes as great salt reproach’ (Crane 172). This entry is characteristic of Henry’s static mentality: he despite everything anticipates his demise as noteworthy, trusting it would profoundly affect this official—not understanding that it would more than likely go to a great extent unnoticed. Henry’s conviction that his demise would be sufficiently huge to influence an official who doesn’t have the foggiest idea about his name uncovers that he has not completely disguised the exercise found inside the naturalistic perspective that he brie y acknowledged as far as he can tell with the dead fighter in the initial segment of the novel. Although the storyteller gives signs that Henry has without a moment’s delay let go of his self-love in fight, significant relapses, for example, the occurrence above shows that Henry has been not able to remove his significant imperfection.

By the end of the novel, Henry has set up himself as a fruitful military veteran, taking a chance with his life and catching the banner and detainees of war from the foe—something he dreaded and attempted to evade toward the start of the novel. At long last, superficially, it looks just as Henry had made the change from selfish youth to benevolent military veteran and valiant saint, a fighter tolerating his destiny paying little mind to what it might be. Henry’s musings on his new change underscore this. For instance, the storyteller expresses that ‘It was revealed to him that he had been a barbarian, a beast. He had fought like a pagan who defends his religion. Regarding it, he saw that it was fine, wild, and, in some ways, easy. … [H]e was now what he called a hero. And he had not been aware of the process. He had slept and, awakening found himself a knight’ (Crane 102). In spite of the fact that these lines hope to observe Henry’s new change, it is imperative to take note of the degree of self-love through which Henry sees this, considering himself to be ‘heroic’ and ‘knightly.’ Though he may have changed on the combat zone, his psychological procedures despite everything appear to be completely enveloped with the youthful thought of individual wonder that war—and nature—doesn’t bear to him. Adding to this contention, Dillingham’s ‘Insensibility in The Red Badge of Courage” states, “[Henry] has simply adapted himself through experience to a new and dangerous environment. When the last battle is over, he is still the same prideful youth bragging on himself as he reviews his deeds of valor’ (Dillingham 197).

On another occasion, the storyteller further delineates Henry’s mental move toward the finish of the novel, expressing, ‘His mind was undergoing a subtle change… Gradually his brain emerged to more closely comprehend himself and circumstance’ (Crane 183). Be that as it may, however, Henry had without a doubt changed, this entry alone alludes to the waiting impacts of his narcissism, as his contemplations are as yet distracted with himself. Furthermore, perusers ought to be cautious in taking note of Henry’s ‘transition’ so obviously. As opposed to turning into this significantly changed character, Dillingham states that ‘Otherwise, Henry remains essentially unchanged during the novel. It is a mistake to think of him as having become rejuvenated through humility or in any way changed into a better person morally’ (Dillingham 197). Dillingham’s announcement adds to the contention that Henry’s inconspicuous mental change isn’t like a battle on the fight eld: there is no obvious outcome. Even though the novel finishes on a sensationalized note, it is a slip-up to decipher Henry’s day of work in the highly contrasting language.

Once more, when the storyteller portrays Henry’s selfishness to an obviously ‘new’ character, Henry’s pretension can be noted in the way in which he despite everything thinks. The storyteller notes ‘for in [his memory] his public deeds were paraded in great shining prominence’ (Crane 183). This emphasis on himself and his wonder again shows that maybe Henry’s energetic conceit hasn’t been eradicated. As the storyteller expresses, his change was a ‘quiet… non-assertive manhood’ as opposed to a historic (and maybe ridiculous) sort of response. Henry is without a doubt changed at the novel’s decision, yet the storyteller’s note recommends a greater amount of a hopefulness at the idea of progress, as opposed to the solid change itself that is available. Henry’s procedure of progress and development was not finished; he despite everything clung to essential components of his pretension that indicated that in issues of his mental fighting, he despite everything had far to go.

By the novel’s decision, perusers can’t characterize Henry’s change one-dimensionally, knowing just that he falls someplace on the slender dim line. This again emphasized by pundit Eric Solomon, expressing, “The novel ends on an ambiguous note: is Henry Fleming a hero manqué who has gained an outward semblance of courage by his battle exploits but who still shows the egotistic lack of moral integrity that forced his original act of cowardice and his later betrayal of the tattered soldier—a betrayal that he cannot forget even after his triumphs—and his lies? Or has the youth actually matured through his war experience…” (Solomon 111).

Solomon’s lines help to show the differentiation between the two ‘wars’ busy working. Henry encounters military triumphs, advancing from his inalienable dread of fight he at first had. Be that as it may, his inward mental operations have not changed by such incredible a long way. The presence of an outward movement in military achievement isn’t related to inward development also. As should be obvious, Henry essentially can’t free himself of his narcissistic significance despite a savage and unfeeling world around him.

Henry’s most critical evidence in showing that his mental move was, best case scenario, deficient, is Henry’s end contemplations about death. The storyteller states, ‘He had been to touch the great death, and found that, after all, it was but the great death. He was a man’ (Crane 183). In these lines, Henry still holds the possibility of death in high respect. He may have advanced in his capacity to observe the occasion in the warmth of fight, however Henry despite everything sees it as ‘great,’ much after incalculable brushes with the mind-boggling topic of its unimportance. Although Henry may not by and by dread demise by the novel’s decision, his inward recognition and order have not moved. As McDermott fights, however, ‘As an author, [Crane] was willing to let The Red Badge of Courage remain ambiguous; within the artistic construct of the novel, the uncertainty adds a dimension of reality’ (McDermott 324). Along these lines, Henry’s internal development doesn’t need to follow his outward military development. At the novel’s decision, the best translation doesn’t need to follow such an away from line of development that it seems to state outwardly. Henry’s confounded mind is very fitting in arranging not just the brain during wartime, yet mental development all in all.

Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage, one of the most popular war books of the nineteenth century, can likewise be investigated outside of the figure of speech of military writing and along a mental course. Crane’s tale follows the excursion of youthful trooper Henry Fleming and his battle to develop from a juvenile vanity and extraordinary egomania despite an inhumane and frequently ruthless physical truth of war and nature just as the certainty of death that joins it. Right now, subject of nature’s impassion to human lives and the effect it has on Crane’s character at last checks mental fighting other than a physical one. In spite of the fact that the novel finishes on an idealistic note that Henry has, finally, become a ‘changed man,’ this paper tries to contend that Henry’s change from naiveté and vanity to a supposed development, particularly with respect to death, is definitely not a straightforward and exhaustive move yet rather unpretentious and generally inadequate. In this way, however perusers can conclusively highlight physical instances of Henry’s military triumphs and heroics before the finish of the novel, his mental fight can’t be closed as solidly. Henry’s day of work, at that point, is delineated as a convoluted procedure with no accurate ‘endpoint’: however his freshly discovered mental attitude of nature’s existence is self-expressed, Henry’s definitive mental state can only be viewed as a blend between his mind-boggling egomania and the chilly reality war has educated him. His change, in this way, isn’t as one dimensional as the content would persuade.

From the beginning of the novel, perusers can promptly take note of Henry’s energetic naiveté and sentimental origination of military life and war. In spite of his mom’s unfavorable words, ‘I know how you are… you are only one minimal feller among a frame parcel of others,’ (Crane 8), Henry takes an egotistical mentality into his military obligations when plainly the truth of a trooper was the exact inverse: totally unconcerned with singularity. This perspective is summarized in the storyteller’s words, ‘Whatever he had educated of himself was here of little consequence. He was an obscure amount’ (Crane 8). Furthermore, envisioning a military way of life of the Greek saints of antiquated occasions, Henry sees himself as independently deserving of consideration and commendation before his first fight even starts. The storyteller expresses this mentality, saying, ‘He had consumed a few times to enroll. Stories of incredible developments shook the land. They probably won’t be unmistakably Homeric, yet there appeared to be a lot of wonder in them. He had perused of walks, attacks, clashes, and he had ached to see everything’ (Crane 10). Toward the start of the novel it shows up as though Henry considers his to be in the military as not an unfortunate chore (triumph in the war), however an end in itself. Henry is depicted as too juvenile to even think about grasping the cool truth of what a vocation in war involves. Dreading genuine obligation and as opposed to making a special effort to not show up fearful to different fighters, Henry is just worried about his outward appearance to other people: obligation isn’t as significant as oneself envisioned brilliance and celebration that accompanies essentially being known as a warrior.

For instance, this inborn pretention that Henry at first takes into his selection is related in Crane’s spin-off of the novel, wherein Henry is thinking back on his military vocation. Henry depicts his narcissism, expressing, ‘I thought they were all taking shots at me. Truly, sir, I thought each man in the other armed force was focusing on me specifically, just me’ (Dillingham citing Crane 195). The way that Crane puts such an accentuation on Henry’s significant individual characteristics this right off the bat in the novel causes perusers to consider Henry’s to be as a double mental war, as opposed to just a physical one. Also, this emphasis on Henry’s failure to acknowledge the cold and detached portrayal of war and society that plays so noticeably in the remainder of the novel fills in as proof of a customized inward fight that Henry faces: the way that there is something else entirely to the war than physical bravery and valor.

In any case, at a vital point in the novel, Henry encounters a microcosmic picture of the certain reality not just of the military, yet life by and large when he sees the body of a warrior in his regiment lying on the ground in the midst of a fight. This unforgiving picture of the gathering idea of life and carelessness of nature attempts to undermine Henry’s preposterous feeling of vainglory that he has held so far. Henry makes an association with the chilly lack of interest of nature to individuals as he notes after a fight, ‘It was amazing that nature had gone serenity on with her brilliant procedure in so much devilment’ (Crane 52). Right now, the warrior’s body, similar to nature’s sun, is essentially a component in the scene; no human mediation or heroics can end man’s inescapable passing. This short snapshot of acknowledgment lights up the absolute opposite to Henry’s attitude: that physical deceptions and appearances of wonder don’t make a difference; he also will encounter the inescapable destiny of the dead trooper and the remainder of the world will proceed, totally undisturbed by the occasion. Notwithstanding Henry’s seeing this feeling of naturalism depicted in war, the storyteller takes note of the individual level at which Henry sees this pivotal occasion expressing, ‘…upon his face there was a dumbfounded and sad look as though he suspected some companion had done him an evil turn’ (Crane 52 accentuation included). The storyteller’s emphasis on the way that Henry saw this all inclusive subject, yet did so totally as far as himself—as though nature’s apathy to the trooper by one way or another was by and by caused on him—is proof of to what extent Henry needed to make a trip on his course to the acknowledgment of this naturalism grinding away; he despite everything sees occasions exclusively as far as himself.

The storyteller later depicts Henry’s attention on death from the point of view that features this subject of the unimportance of people, expressing that the cadavers ‘…lay wound in incredible reshapings. Arms were bowed and heads were turned in staggering manners. It appeared that the dead men probably tumbled from some incredible stature to get into such positions. They hoped to be dumped out upon the ground from the sky’ (Crane 53). Once more, the decision of the words ‘dumped from the sky’ explicitly features nature’s finished lack of concern for people, particularly during wartime. These lines again encourage Henry to see past his optimistic perspective on vainglory. As observed through his own eyes during this scene, however his confidants may see his passing, nature positively would not.

In spite of this snapshot of brief revelation, in any case, despite the fact that Henry effectively takes an interest in increasingly military obligations and fights, he keeps on deceiving people around him and keep his feeling of vanity as opposed to tolerating this naturalistic reality. This feeling of self love is featured in Henry’s proceeded with daydreams of individual glory. Henry continues seeing ‘…Swift pictures of himself, separated, yet in himself, came to him—a blue edgy figure driving offensive accuses of one knee forward and a messed up cutting edge high—a blue, decided figure remaining before a dark red and steel attack, getting serenely executed on a high spot before the eyes of all. He thought of the Magni penny feeling of his dead body’ (Crane 84). Once more, these lines show that Henry despite everything puts stock in the noteworthiness of his passing and an individual brilliance that he accepts will accompany it.

Maybe the most conspicuous sign that Henry despite everything still can’t seem to get a handle on the truth of his irrelevance is the episode where he deceives his regiment about acquiring his own ‘red identification of mental fortitude.’ After being coincidentally struck by the knob end of a firearm by a part in his regiment, Henry misleads his individual officers, rather than disclosing to them that he had been shot. Crane underlines the weakness of Henry’s activities, permitting perusers to see his failure to progress from his vain previous self. Crane alludes to Henry’s lie about his physical issue, expressing that he had now started to wear ‘the irritated identification of his disrespect’ (Crane 58). The sheer significance that Henry puts on the possibility of a fight wound is a demonstration of his mentality. Henry without a doubt considers these to be of fearlessness as evidence of military greatness that he so frantically looks for: an image of fortitude as well as a whole worth framework that nature overlooks totally. Henry can’t deal with the insignificance of individual fight wounds or people in the stupendous plan of war and reality when all is said in done.

Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage, one of the most famous war novels of the 19th century, can also be analyzed outside of the trope of military literature and along a psychological route. Crane’s novel follows the journey of young soldier Henry Fleming and his struggle to grow from an immature vanity and intense egotism in the face of an uncaring and often brutal physical reality of war and nature as well as the inevitability of death that comes along with it. In this view, the theme of nature’s indifference to human lives and the impact it has on Crane’s character ultimately marks psychological warfare besides a physical one. Though the novel ends on an optimistic note that Henry has, at last, become a “changed man,” this paper seeks to argue that Henry’s change from naiveté and vanity to an alleged maturity, especially regarding death, is not a simple and thorough shift but instead subtle and largely incomplete. Therefore, though readers can decisively point to physical examples of Henry’s military victories and heroics by the end of the novel, his psychological battle cannot be concluded as concretely. Henry’s shift, then, is illustrated as a complicated process with no exact “endpoint”: though his newfound psychological mindset of nature’s reality is self-stated, Henry’s ultimate mental state can merely be seen as a mixture between his overwhelming egotism and the cold reality war has taught him. His change, therefore, is not as one dimensional as the text would lead readers to believe.

From the onset of the novel, readers can immediately note Henry’s youthful naiveté and romantic conception of military life and war. Despite his mother’s ominous words, “I know how you are… you are just one little feller amongst a hull lot of others,” (Crane 8), Henry takes a self-centered attitude into his military duties when it is clear that the reality of a soldier was just the opposite: completely indifferent to individuality. This viewpoint is summed up in the narrator’s words, “Whatever he had learned of himself was here of no avail. He was an unknown quantity” (Crane 8). Additionally, imagining a military lifestyle of the Greek heroes of ancient times, Henry considers himself individually worthy of attention and praise before his first battle even begins. The narrator states this mindset, saying, “He had burned several times to enlist. Tales of great movements shook the land. They might not be distinctly Homeric, but there seemed to be much glory in them. He had read of marches, sieges, conflicts, and he had longed to see it all” (Crane 10). At the beginning of the novel it appears as if Henry sees his tenure in the military as not a means to an end (victory in the war), but an end in itself. Henry is portrayed as too immature to grasp the cold reality of what a career in war entails. Fearing actual duty and instead of going out of his way to not appear cowardly to other soldiers, Henry is only concerned with his outward appearance to others: duty is not as important as the self-imagined glory and revelry that comes with simply being called a soldier.

For example, this innate egotism that Henry initially takes into his enlistment is recounted in Crane’s sequel to the novel, in which Henry is looking back on his military career. Henry describes his self-centeredness, stating, “I thought they were all shooting at me. Yes, sir, I thought every man in the other army was aiming at me in particular, only me” (Dillingham quoting Crane 195). The fact that Crane puts such an emphasis on Henry’s profound personal traits this early in the novel helps readers to see Henry’s experience as a dual psychological war, rather than simply a physical one. Additionally, this focus on Henry’s inability to accept the cold and indifferent characterization of war and society that plays so prominently in the rest of the novel serves as evidence of a personalized inner battle that Henry faces: the fact that there is more to the war than physical heroism and valor.

However, at a crucial point in the novel, Henry comes face to face with a microcosmic image of the inescapable reality not simply of the military, but life in general when he sees the corpse of a soldier in his regiment lying on the ground amid a battle. This harsh image of the meeting nature of life and negligence of nature works to undermine Henry’s delusional sense of self-importance that he has held thus far. Henry makes a connection to the cold indifference of nature to human beings as he notes after a battle, “It was surprising that nature had gone tranquility on with her golden process in so much devilment” (Crane 52). In this larger sense, the soldier’s corpse, like nature’s sun, is simply a feature in the landscape; no human intervention or heroics can put a stop to man’s inevitable death. This brief moment of recognition illuminates the antithesis to Henry’s mindset: that physical illusions and appearances of glory do not matter; he too will experience the inevitable fate of the dead soldier and the rest of the world will continue, completely undisturbed by the event. Despite Henry’s witnessing this sense of naturalism portrayed in war, the narrator notes the personal level at which Henry notices this crucial event stating, “…upon his face there was an astonished and sorrowful look as if he thought some friend had done him an ill turn” (Crane 52 emphasis added). The narrator’s focus on the fact that Henry saw this universal theme, yet did so completely in terms of himself—as if nature’s indifference to the soldier somehow was personally inflicted on him—is evidence of how long Henry had to travel on his route to the realization of this naturalism at work; he still sees events solely in terms of himself.

The narrator later portrays Henry’s focus on death from the perspective that highlights this theme of the inconsequentiality of individuals, stating that the corpses “…lay twisted in fantastic contortions. Arms were bent and heads were turned in incredible ways. It seemed that the dead men must have fallen from some great height to get into such positions. They looked to be dumped out upon the ground from the sky” (Crane 53). Again, the choice of the words “dumped from the sky” specifically highlights nature’s complete indifference for individuals, especially during wartime. These lines again urge Henry to see past his idealistic view of self-importance. As seen through his own eyes during this scene, though his comrades might notice his death, nature certainly would not.

Despite this moment of brief epiphany, however, even though Henry actively participates in more military duties and battles, he continues to lie to those around him and keep his sense of vanity rather than accepting this naturalistic reality. This sense of egotism is highlighted in Henry’s continued delusions of personal grandeur. Henry persists in seeing “…Swift pictures of himself, apart, yet in himself, came to him—a blue desperate figure leading lurid charges with one knee forward and a broken blade high— a blue, determined figure standing before a crimson and steel assault, getting calmly killed on a high place before the eyes of all. He thought of the Magni cent pathos of his dead body” (Crane 84). Again, these lines indicate that Henry still believes in the significance of his death and a personal glory that he believes will come with it.

Perhaps the most prominent indication that Henry still has yet to grasp the reality of his inconsequentiality is the incident in which he lies to his regiment about obtaining his own “red badge of courage.” After being accidentally struck by the butt-end of a gun by a member in his regiment, Henry lies to his fellow soldiers, instead of telling them that he had been shot. Crane emphasizes the cowardice of Henry’s actions, allowing readers to see his inability to transition from his egotistical former self. Crane refers to Henry’s lie about his injury, stating that he had now begun to wear “the sore badge of his dishonor” (Crane 58). The sheer importance that Henry puts on the idea of a battle wound is a testament to his mindset. Henry undoubtedly sees these badges of courage as proof of military glory that he so desperately seeks: a symbol not only of courage but also an entire value system that nature ignores completely. Henry cannot come to terms with the inconsequentiality of individual battle wounds or individuals in the grand scheme of war and reality in general.

According to critic John McDermott, this incident of Henry’s deceit over a battle wound to obtain what he sees as “glory” is not simply Crane’s description of a war-time occurrence, but an event that has meaning in Henry’s psychological struggle. Further, McDermott contends that Crane’s description of the incident it purposeful in describing the incomplete struggle and journey that Henry makes throughout the novel in his inability to let go of his egotism and foolish military vanity. McDermott states,

The total symbol of Fleming’s wound, meticulously constructed by Crane in this central portion of the novel, thus becomes the principal device by which he manages to embody the complicated development of his unsophisticated hero. If Crane had attempted to present too directly the necessarily confused thoughts of the rather inarticulate and intellectually limited character he might have… an unrealistic psychological portrait. But in its multiplicity, his symbol is the perfect vehicle to convey gracefully the complexities and ironies of his limited character’s psychological development (McDermott 327).

Therefore, agrees McDermott, Henry’s continued acts of self shyness in the face of his experience with nature’s cold reality—specifically the lie over the red badge—illustrate that though Henry looks completely courageous and honorable on the outside, his lie holds significance in showing his character’s true disjunction in his personal “war” of development.

Many more examples of this disjunction between Henry’s military advancement versus his psychological plateau occur throughout the rest of the novel, where it appears on the outside that Henry is finally taking on further military responsibilities and accomplishments. Henry is quite obviously becoming a veteran soldier and willingly throws himself into battle, seemingly unafraid of the dangers and risk of death that war carries. However, Henry’s sense of vanity cannot be shaken off. For example, in one of the final battle scenes, Henry highlights this inability to let go of his egotistical flaw when he overhears an of her saying that his regiment will probably be lost in the upcoming battle. Henry takes great offense and shock in hearing his regiment referred to in such a marginalizing manner, thinking, “…the most startling thing was to learn suddenly that he was very insignificant. The officer spoke of the regiment as if he referred to a broom” (Crane 172). Henry then imagines that if this officer were to see his corpse, it would somehow serve as the ultimate form of revenge for offering these comments. The narrator adds, “It was his idea, vaguely formed, that his corpse would be for those eyes as great salt reproach” (Crane 172). This passage is indicative of Henry’s static mindset: he still foresees his death as significant, believing it would have a profound impact on this officer—not realizing that it would more than likely go largely unnoticed. Henry’s belief that his death would be significant enough to affect an officer who does not even know his name reveals that he has not fully internalized the lesson found within the naturalistic worldview that he brie y realized in his experience with the dead soldier in the first part of the novel. Though the narrator gives indications that Henry has at once let go of his egotism in battle, major regressions such as the incident above show that Henry has been unable to expel his major aw.

By the conclusion of the novel, it is clear that Henry has established himself as a successful military veteran, risking his life and capturing the flag and prisoners of war from the enemy—something he feared and tried to avoid at the beginning of the novel. Finally, on the surface, it looks as though Henry had made the transformation from egotistical youth to selfless military veteran and courageous hero, a soldier accepting of his fate regardless of what it may be. Henry’s thoughts on his new change underscore this. For example, the narrator states that “It was revealed to him that he had been a barbarian, a beast. He had fought like a pagan who defends his religion. Regarding it, he saw that it was fine, wild, and, in some ways, easy. … [H]e was now what he called a hero. And he had not been aware of the process. He had slept and, awakening found himself a knight” (Crane 102). Though these lines look to celebrate Henry’s new transformation, it is important to note the level of egotism through which Henry views this, seeing himself as “heroic” and “knightly.” Though he may have changed on the battlefield, his mental processes still look to be fully encompassed with the immature idea of personal glory that war—and nature—does not afford to him. Adding to this argument, Dillingham’s “Insensibility in The Red Badge of Courage” states, “[Henry] has simply adapted himself through experience to a new and dangerous environment. When the last battle is over, he is still the same prideful youth bragging on himself as he reviews his deeds of valor” (Dillingham 197).

In another instance, the narrator further illustrates Henry’s psychological shift at the end of the novel, stating, “His mind was undergoing a subtle change… Gradually his brain emerged to more closely comprehend himself and circumstance” (Crane 183). However, though Henry had indeed changed, this passage alone hints at the lingering effects of his narcissism, as his thoughts are still preoccupied with himself. Additionally, readers should be careful in noting Henry’s “transition” so clearly. Rather than become this dramatically transformed character, Dillingham states that “Otherwise, Henry remains essentially unchanged during the novel. It is a mistake to think of him as having become rejuvenated through humility or in any way changed into a better person morally” (Dillingham 197). Dillingham’s statement adds to the argument that Henry’s subtle psychological change is not similar to a struggle on the battle eld: there is no clear cut result. Though the novel ends on a sensationalized note, it is a mistake to interpret Henry’s shift in black and white language.

Again, when the narrator describes Henry’s shift to an apparently “new” character, Henry’s egotism can be noted in the manner in which he still thinks. The narrator notes “for in [his memory] his public deeds were paraded in great shining prominence” (Crane 183). This focus on himself and his own glory again shows that perhaps Henry’s youthful egotism hasn’t been completely erased. As the narrator states, his change was a “quiet… non-assertive manhood” rather than a ground-breaking (and perhaps unrealistic) type of reaction. Henry is undoubtedly changed at the novel’s conclusion, but the narrator’s note suggests more of an optimism at the concept of change, rather than the concrete change itself that is present. Henry’s process of change and maturity was not complete; he still clung to basic elements of his egotism that showed that in matters of his own psychological warfare, he still had a long way to go.

By the novel’s conclusion, readers cannot define Henry’s change one-dimensionally, knowing only that he falls somewhere on the thin gray line. This again reiterated by critic Eric Solomon, stating:

The novel ends on an ambiguous note: is Henry Fleming a hero manqué who has gained an outward semblance of courage by his battle exploits but who still shows the egotistic lack of moral integrity that forced his original act of cowardice and his later betrayal of the tattered soldier—a betrayal that he cannot forget even after his triumphs—and his lies? Or has the youth actually matured through his war experience… (Solomon 111).

Solomon’s lines help to show the distinction between the two “wars” at work. Henry clearly experiences military victories, evolving from his inherent fear of battle he initially had. However, his inner mental workings have not changed by such great leaps and bounds. The existence of an outward shift in military accomplishment is not necessarily correlated with inner growth as well. As readers can see, Henry simply cannot rid himself of his self centered importance in the face of a ruthless and uncaring world around him.

Henry’s most significant proof in illustrating that his psychological shift was, at best, incomplete, is Henry’s closing thoughts about death. The narrator states, “He had been to touch the great death, and found that, after all, it was but the great death. He was a man” (Crane 183). In these lines, Henry obviously still holds the idea of death in high regard. He may have evolved in his ability to witness the event in the heat of battle, but Henry still perceives it as “great,” even after countless brushes with the overwhelming theme of its insignificance. Though Henry may not personally fear death by the novel’s conclusion, his inner perception and categorization have not truly shifted. As McDermott contends, though, “As an author, [Crane] was willing to let The Red Badge of Courage remain ambiguous; within the artistic construct of the novel, the uncertainty adds a dimension of reality” (McDermott 324). Therefore, Henry’s inner maturity does not have to follow his outward military growth. At the novel’s conclusion, the best interpretation does not have to follow such a clear upward line of growth that it appears to assert on the outside. Henry’s complicated psyche is extremely fitting in categorizing not simply the mind during wartime, but psychological growth in general.

The conclusion of The Red Badge of Courage ends with what appears to be a clean-cut theme in a young soldier’s maturity into a seasoned veteran who holds a vast amount of wisdom obtained from years in battle. However, a close reading of the text shows readers that there is more than one war at work in the novel. Though Crane undoubtedly portrays a tale of military struggle and ultimate accomplishment, Henry Fleming’s simultaneous psychological journey cannot be ignored. Crane’s underlying literary naturalism at work in the novel works to show Henry’s complicated struggle to realization and acceptance of nature’s indifference to his own life and death—on the battle eld and beyond. Uniquely, Henry’s war of his inner psyche does not have a clear result as the one he experiences on the battle eld. Though Henry describes his maturation into a man, readers must not neglect his egotism that he has failed to expel. Therefore, in examining Crane’s dual war portrayed in The Red Badge of Courage, one cannot label Henry’s psyche as new or transformed; the ambiguous conclusion only illustrates to readers the vast complexities in a war of moral proportions: with no winner or loser, one must fall somewhere in between.

In this report on the red badge of courage a book about the war by Stephen Crane. This book is historical fiction and is in the third person the speaker is a narrator. This book was amazing and I would like to share with you in hopes that you would be persuaded to read this book yourself.

The narrator set the seance is a soldering base and a forest during the war was a scary place that people that did not know how frightening the war really was have been they thought the war would have been a glorious place.

Henry is the main character and is called the youth or fresh fish. Henry feels lonely because he feels as if he was the only one who was afraid to go to war . a supporting character is a tattered man claims “he does not have time for dying he has a family at home. he later is left behind by henry .

The most interesting character is henry because he is very edgy stating this such as “he was filled with a momentary astonishment that he should have made an extraordinary commotion over the mere matter of getting killed he must look to the grave for comprehension” he is saying that death is the only way he will ever be understood .

My favorite scene would have to be when the fat man attempts to steal the horse from the woman. It was funny to me and he was caught and the book was pretty much-saying girl power.

Or woman are equal to men. It’s nice to have a little bit of gender equality in the book.

The theme of the red badge of courage is henry wants to show his strength and bravery on the and off the battlefield. What I think Stephen Crane is trying to say in this historical fiction novel is never show your weak side keep on pushing and show that you are not scared.

The plot of the Red Badge of Courage is a young man leaves his mother and go join the army during the civil war quickly he regrets his thoughts and starts to think he is the only one who is afraid of the war. He pushes through to get through the civil war and this book is his journey of pushing through the civil war.

The climax of the book is henry thinks he is the only one that is afraid to go to war And The conflict of the red badge of courage is henry fleming and Wilson lead their regiment to an unlikely victory over the rebels.

The resolution is the same as climax henry gets over his fears of the war and leads his troops to the unlikely victory . pushing through his fear and leading his troops to victory is very inspiring to me that he is not scared he forget all his fear and wins the war.

One thing I would change about this book is that it is very repetitive it like a college kid who did not have enough words in his school essay and opened his theosures and started adding words he did not even know what the words meant he just added theme .

Henry – the main character of ‘The Red Badge of Courage’ by Stephen Crane – starts the book as a hopeful and introverted teen who wants a chance to show and be known as a bold and fearless soldier. He hopes for a uniform and to have a gun with proud purpose. Henry, or “the youth” as the soldiers call him, finds that all men face and feel the same feelings and that it doesn’t matter to the world what happens to him. Henry obviously finds that saddening but soon gets over and turns into a bit of a realist. He goes through a phase and soon he recognizes his own cowardice and egoism. He does a complete revelation by the end of the book from a self-absorbed person, to a well-rounded selfless person.

During the entirety of the story, the view of Henry’s actions are always changing or developing. Henry quickly realizes that weariness, reiteration, and extraordinary dread and deaths that happens when you are in the military. He also finds that Jim Conklin is a reasonable model of what a man should be to an extent. Jim is confident and can claim his own shortcomings and weaknesses. Henry slowly corrects his way of what looks and acts like a certified man and finds that a significant amount of manliness identifies with someone’s own mistakes and imperfections.

Henry grew much larger in personality, character, and morals. Henry grew more as a person than any other character in ‘The Red Badge of Courage’ because, during the war, Henry ran toward a specific point where the soldiers would meet, he was very courageous during the wars and took the flag when the color guard died. And although the was cowardice at first, he was willing to sacrifice his life by the end. In chapter 8, henry came back to join the wounded after running away and pretended to have a wound. Henry felt guilty and ashamed that he didn’t have a red badge of courage.

The main enemy of Henry as he continued to find fearlessness is the basic element of human instinct, the desire for self-safeguarding. Henry wants to live longer than anything else. The more you look at it, the more real and natural it seems. Obviously, the more Henry thinks about it, the more he is convinced that he is an Einstein stuck in a field full of ‘buffoons’. In chapter 7 it says, “He threw a pinecone at a jovial squirrel, and he ran with chattering fear. […] The youth felt triumphant at this exhibition. There was the law, he said. Nature had given him a sign. The squirrel, immediately upon recognizing danger, had taken to his legs without ado’. This shows that henry is trying to defend his actions. He is defending, and rightfully so, why he ran, its apart of human instincts to run in the face of danger.

As a new recruit, Henry has experienced many psychological transformations during this period of time, to where his true cowardliness is expressed. His romantic illusions are gradually shattered, and he begins to fear for the coming battles. Before the first battle, the newly recruit must grapple with a profound question regarding his courage: will he, when faced with the enemy and the possibility of imminent, painful death, stand tall and fight or retreat in shame, “Gradually a little panic-fear grew in his mind…He jumps up and questions himself loudly. ‘Good Lord, what’s the matter with me’’ (Crane p.12). The great dilemma that Henry is in at that moment is more a matter of trusting himself as to what he’s about to confront. “Previously he had never felt obliged to wrestle too seriously with this question. In his life he had taken certain things for granted, never challenging his belief in ultimate success, and bothering little about means and roads. But here he was confronted with a thing of moment. It had suddenly appeared to him that perhaps in a battle he might run. He was forced to admit that as far as the war was concerned he knew nothing of himself’ (Crane p.7). Henry continually grapples with this question until he is truly face to face with the enemy. Henry must learn to understand himself as a soldier, not just as a man. “Whatever he had learned of himself was here of no avail. He was an unknown quantity’ (Crane p.12). Henry here begins to see the difference between his expectations of war and the realities of it. He wishes not to be in a situation of life or death. “He had never wished to join the war. He had not enlisted out of his free will. He had been dragged by the merciless government’ (Crane p.26). Here Henry starts to blame others that it wasn’t his choice of investing. He get fixated on the idea that he was forced to join.

Later on in the story, Henry regrets his spontaneous decision to run and eventually rejoins his squadron, the 304th. Henry’s experience of escaping from the battlefield and returning to his regiment causes him to become mature. Henry seems to become a trustworthy and brave soldier. He finally starts to change when he once again encounters his fellow soldier Wilson, who had given Henry some letters to deliver to his family in case Wilson didn’t make it. It isn’t until the next battle that we really see a change in Henry. Henry goes on and is labeled as a ‘war beast’, as he ran towards the enemy like a wild animal. At this point all of his fear is out the door, instead he had blind hatred towards the enemy. He seemed to have fallen in such a trance that as the enemy retreated he continued to fire, “For a time the youth was obliged to reflect in a puzzled and uncertain way. His mind was undergoing a subtle change. It took moments for it to cast off its battleful ways and resume its accustomed course of thought. Gradually his brain emerged from the clogged clouds, and at last he was enabled to more closely comprehend himself and circumstance’ (Crane p.25). The only way Henry can participate fully in war is to lose his own identity and individuality first. “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 mindfulness. He had performed his mistakes in the dark, so he was still a man’ (Crane p. 88). Henry’s cowardness was put behind him, he knows it’s still there. All that lead up to him getting his courage back he still sees himself as a man.

At the end of the story Henry’s attitude changes once more. He comes to more of an understanding as to what his position is and what he’s meant to do. He succeeds this perfectly, he learns not to boast in it and make himself look like the hero but the whole squadron look like the hero. “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’ (Crane p. 88). 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’ (Crane p. 30). 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. This is where he turns from a kid to a young adult or a ‘man’.

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.