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The similarities and differences between realism and naturalism
The similarities and differences between realism and naturalism
Theme of the red badge of courage
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Many of Stephen Crane’s passions in life strongly influenced his writing of The Red Badge of Courage, most predominately his obsession with war. The Red Badge of Courage, was Crane’s first book about war and arguably is most successful book. His book consisted of so many different styles of writing scholars did not know how to classify it. These styles of writing include realism, naturalism, symbolism, and impressionism. In fact many Civil War Veterans though Crane had fought in the Civil war himself. However Crane was not born until a few years after the war ended. This speaks to the prestige of the realism in Crane’s book.
Before Crane got his start as a writer he was born in Newark, New Jersey on November 1, 1871 to Mary Helen Crane and Reverend Doctor Jonathan Townley Crane. Before Crane published his first novel Maggie: A Girl of The Streets in 1893, he flunked out of both Lafayette College, and Syracuse University. Despite flunking out of school by the time Crane died in 1900 when he was twenty-eight he has written six novels, around a hundred short stories, two books of poems, and voluminous journalism and war correspondence (GCE). Not only did Crane’s writing focus on war, his life revolved around his fascination of war. On multiple occasions Crane went to various countries to witness the Spanish-American War, Greco-Turkish conflict, and an insurrection in Cuba. After her during many of trips he wrote about the war in vivid realism like the realism found in The Red Badge of Courage. Similarly to Crane writers of the 1890s were writing with realism too and among these writers Crane was one of the most influential (EWB). Through these methods of writing Crane examines the reaction of the main character in extreme situat...
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... Encyclopedia of American Literature. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2009. 348-352. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.
Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage. New York: Penguin, 2005. Print.
Toler, Pamela. “The Red Badge of Courage.” The Literature of War. Ed. Thomas Riggs. Vol. 2: Experiences. Detroit: St. James Press, 2012. 80-82. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.
“The Red Badge of Courage.” Literary Themes for Students: War and Peace. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2006. 439-450. Literary Themes for Students. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.
“The Red Badge of Courage.” Novels for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 1998. 253-275. Gale Power Search. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.
“Stephen Crane.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.
Schroeder, John W. "Stephen Crane Embattled," University of Kansas City Review, XVII (Winter 1950), 119 Rpt. in
The Red Badge of Courage and The Blue Hotel: The Singular Love of Stephen Crane
O’Brien, Tim. “How To Tell a True War Story.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2003. p. 420-429.
Events of crisis tend to reveal people’s true character, as well as help those people learn from the experience. Decisions people make during crises can display what kind of personality they have. In The Red Badge Of Courage by Stephen Crane, the youthful main protagonist, Henry, decides to join the army. In the beginning of the novel, Henry exhibits multiple cowardly qualities. However, through a series of battles, Henry learns more about himself and begins to become a remarkably brave soldier. Henry’s transformation from cowardice to bravery is portrayed through Henry’s change in thoughts, actions, and dialogue.
“The Red Badge of Courage” was written by Stephen Crane in 1985 as a fictional tale of a soldier of the Civil War. With its accurate depictions, readers were led to believe that Crane had at one time been a soldier. This was however not the case. Crane has a unique way of using themes and symbols in “The Red badge of Courage” to relay a very realistic portrayal of war.
"The Red Badge of Courage" is the story of how war changes a boy into a man. It shows how you will do things you will later forget. How you may have the wrong idea of just how brave and courageous you are. This book shows how one event can change a man forever.
War is not meant to be glorified. War is not meant to look easy. Stephen Crane was one of the few authors during his era who realized this fantasy-like aura around war and battles and decided to do something about it. The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, was inspired by Crane’s life and his desire to portray the realistic side of war.
Works Cited and Consulted: Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. Canada; 1976. Gibson, Donald B. The Red Badge of Courage: Redefining the Hero.
It is evident that the occurrence of war throughout history has made a lasting impression on soldiers and civilians alike. This has been expressed over the years through different works of literature. The cost of war to the individual is illustrated in “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich, “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, and “The Shawl” by Cynthia Ozick because each story shows some element of mental, emotional, and physical toll.
A newly enlisted rookie by the name of Henry Fleming battles his own wits as well as the attacking Confederate army in the fictional novel, The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. Tormented by doubts of his own bravery, his fears come true, and he flees from battle. He runs from the scene only to be taken away to a day of weariness and struggles whilst making it back to camp. As the story progresses, he learns from his mistakes, grows out of his fears, and later turns out to be one of the bravest soldiers of all. In The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, Henry Fleming is determined, curious, and brave although first fearful.
The Red Badge of Courage is not a war novel. It is a novel about life. This novel illustrates the trials and tribulations of everyday life. Stephen Crane uses the war as a comparison to everyday life. He is semi-saying that life is like a war. It is a struggle of warriors—the every day people—against the odds. In these battles of everyday life, people can change. In The Red Badge of Courage, the main character, Henry Fleming, undergoes a character change that shows how people must overcome their fears and the invisible barriers that hold them back from being the best people—warriors, in the sense that life is war—they can be. Henry has a character change that represents how all humans have general sense of fear of the unknown that must be overcome.
O’Brien, Tim. “How To Tell a True War Story.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2003. p. 420-429.
Gibson, Donald B. The Red Badge of Courage: Redefining the Hero. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1988.
Baym, Nina et al. Ed. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Shorter 8th ed. New York:
If it was not for Stephen Crane and his visionary work than American Realism would not have taken hold of the United States during the eighteen hundreds. During the years following the Civil War America was a melting pot of many different writing styles. Many scholars argue that at this time there was still no definite American author or technique. Up to this point authors in the Americas simply copied techniques that were popular in regions of Europe. Stephen Crane came onto the scene with a very different approach to many of his contemporaries. He was a realist, and being such he described actions in a true, unadorned way that portrayed situations in the manner that they actually occurred (Kaplan). He had numerous admired pieces but his most famous work was the Red Badge of Courage (Bentley 103). In this novel he illustrates the accounts of a Union soldier named Henry Fleming. At first the writing was considered too graphic and many people did not buy the book. Eventually the American people changed their opinions and began to gravitate towards Crane’s work. The readers were fascinated by the realistic environment he creates even though he himself had never fought in a war (Bentley 103). By spreading the influence of realistic writing Crane has come to be known as the first American Realist.