The Red Badge of Courage is a novel by Stephen Crane. He uses his personal life experiences and time period of the novel to develop the characters and the theme. For example, Crane uses personal experiences in the novel to grasp the readers attention through the main character, Henry Fleming. He comes of age after many character building episodes. The time period of the novel is the Civil War and that also adds to the development of the main character. Henry starts off as a coward who goes along with the other soldiers’ actions because of his lack of experience and confidence. The war, his courage, and his sense of duty all play a role in changing Henry Fleming from a coward into a brave man. Henry Fleming comes of age in The Red Badge of
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FulfillingDuty in the army is what changed Henry Fleming the most. Fulfilling duties is almost impossible if there is no courage to start with. Duty and responsibility have the rewards of glory if done correctly. Crane writes,¨He felt that something of which he was a part--a regiment, an army, a cause, or a country--was in crisis. He was welded into a common personality which was dominated by a single desire. For some moments he could not flee no more than a little finger can commit a revolution from a hand (Crane 31).¨ This first quote is about Henry and how he did not do what he was supposed to for his regiment so the other soldiers had to do it for him. He does not take credit for it but learns from his mistakes and takes responsibilities later on. The reader learns Henry’s reasoning in this quote,¨While he had been tossed by many emotions, he had not been aware of ailments. Now they beset him and made clamor. In despair, he declared that he was not like those others. He now conceded it to be impossible that he should ever become a hero (Crane 58).¨ Henry is concerned about being like other soldiers around him. He does not protect himself in war because of this strategy. Henry is not battling on his own so he will never become courageous if he continues it. In the final quote Crane writes,¨Mr. Hasbrouck!' he ses, 'by th' way, who was that lad what carried th' flag?'...'Ahem! ahem! he is, indeed, a very good man t' have, ahem! He kep' th' flag 'way t' th' front. I saw 'im. He's a good un,' ses th' colonel...(Crane 104).¨ This final scene is where Henry Fleming finally decides to become courageous by fulfilling his duty. Henderson Kincheloe states,¨When he carries the flag in the later skirmishes, he is not a terrified chicken or rabbit or squirrel but a young man motivated by pride, by a sense of belonging to a group, and by a determination to show his courage to an officer
FulfillingDuty in the army is what changed Henry Fleming the most. Fulfilling duties is almost impossible if there is no courage to start with. Duty and responsibility have the rewards of glory if done correctly. Crane writes,¨He felt that something of which he was a part--a regiment, an army, a cause, or a country--was in crisis. He was welded into a common personality which was dominated by a single desire. For some moments he could not flee no more than a little finger can commit a revolution from a hand (Crane 31).¨ This first quote is about Henry and how he did not do what he was supposed to for his regiment so the other soldiers had to do it for him. He does not take credit for it but learns from his mistakes and takes responsibilities later on. The reader learns Henry’s reasoning in this quote,¨While he had been tossed by many emotions, he had not been aware of ailments. Now they beset him and made clamor. In despair, he declared that he was not like those others. He now conceded it to be impossible that he should ever become a hero (Crane 58).¨ Henry is concerned about being like other soldiers around him. He does not protect himself in war because of this strategy. Henry is not battling on his own so he will never become courageous if he continues it. In the final quote Crane writes,¨Mr. Hasbrouck!' he ses, 'by th' way, who was that lad what carried th' flag?'...'Ahem! ahem! he is, indeed, a very good man t' have, ahem! He kep' th' flag 'way t' th' front. I saw 'im. He's a good un,' ses th' colonel...(Crane 104).¨ This final scene is where Henry Fleming finally decides to become courageous by fulfilling his duty. Henderson Kincheloe states,¨When he carries the flag in the later skirmishes, he is not a terrified chicken or rabbit or squirrel but a young man motivated by pride, by a sense of belonging to a group, and by a determination to show his courage to an officer