Stephen Crane's The Red Badge Of Courage

In The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane shows the growth of a young man, Henry, who is influenced by several other characters. The year was 1862 and it was the period of the Civil War. The story starts at night on a cold morning when the army was resting in their tents, bunks, and around the campfires. As Jim Conklin, who later becomes known as the tall soldier, washes his shirt at the river, he hears a rumor about the regiment. He rushes to tell his comrades that the regiment will move the next day. After the loud soldier, Wilson, hears this rumor, he argues with Jim that it is a liar. While all of the rumors are spreading, the main character Henry is just standing on the side watching and listening..

Henry then begins to think about how his reaction to fighting in battle will be. A flashback to when he first enlisted against his mother’s wishes occurs to him. He remembers stories of glorious and bloody wars of times past. Henry thought that the war was a courageous adventure. During that time, people lived a simple life, mostly based on growing and harvesting crops. The youth also recalls his mother’s lecture before he left for war, “You watch out Henry and take good care of yourself in this fighting business. You watch out and take good care of yourself” (pg.5). His mother warned him about taking care of himself and staying away from bad companions.

His mother’s role symbolizes the realities of war because of the time in which this story takes place. It is hard to know if she was uneducated or not. Her farming lifestyle implies that she was a hard-working woman, especially since Henry’s dad was not around. This image also sets a realistic tone going along with Henry’s fantasizing. Her small but simple actions, such as kn...

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...g continues. Henry confronts the enemy bravely. Now, that people think he is a strong and working soldier, he regains his self-pride. He does his part in keeping the flag from landing in the hands of the opponent. He leads the command bravely and with dignity. Henry has grown courageous and encourages others to have confidence, as well. Henry overcomes his fear and comes to terms with his duties. Henry no longer grieves over the idea of what his reactions might be. Now, he just fights without a worry in the world and does it well. Finally, the firing dies down and the men retreat to the river. Henry is satisfied with how he overcame his fear and did it well. He has now matured and the war has transformed him from a boy to a man.

Works Cited

The Red Badge Of Courage, movie re-make (1974) December 3, 1974

The Red Badge Of Courage, Stephen Crane (1895) NY, New York