Similarities Between The Red Badge Of Courage And Romanticism

Generally speaking, American Romanticism forms a connection between the real world and a realm of fantasy. However, the concept of Romanticism has a flawed connection with the ideas of Realism. However, several stories, such as The Red Badge of Courage, attempt to bridge the gap between the hybrid of reality and fantasy and a world strictly dominated by the cruel and somewhat intriguing realities of life. In this story, the ideas connect in differing ways, with the ultimate results changing depending on the theme. In fact, the bridge between Realism and Romanticism relates closer to a timeline, in which Romanticism becomes filtered by the lens of reality.

Regardless of it being an adventure, epic, or thriller, the characters displayed …show more content…
For the majority of the described events, such as the youth’s first battle, Stephen Crane describes the trauma as it would normally happen on a battlefield. Ironically, Crane also implements similes and metaphors to describe conflicts, which relates closely to Romanticism. In a condensed form, the art of American Romanticism serves as a combination between exaggerating one’s surrounding and staying within a realistic tone. On the other hand, Realism almost completely rejects the addition of an imaginary world, and attempts to stand firmly grounded in reality. As one goes through The Red Badge of Courage, they will experience a transition, as shown by the characters and imagery specifically, from a Romantic viewpoint to one mostly rooted in Realism. Ultimately, the book serves not only as an impactful example of Realism, but also as a metaphorical transition in America’s history from the stories mixing with fantasy to comprehend reality to ones that fully embrace the harsh world we live