The Red Badge Of Courage Analysis

In The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, it suggests that courage and self-preservation are the main themes. Throughout the events of this work, Henry, the speaker, undergoes many changes and choices. He continues to fight an internal conflict between having enough courage to fight and being a coward by saving himself. Henry's character development and the choices he makes throughout the novel relates to the literary movement of realism through both his courageous actions and desire for self-preservation. Initially, Henry Fleming, other wise known as “the youth”, has dreamed many times of the glory of war. “He had read of marches, sieges, conflicts, and he had longed to see it all.” The thought of becoming a coward does not even cross Henry's mind before he enlists. This is because he has always dreamed of …show more content…
“He was forced to admit that as far as war was concerned he knew nothing of himself.” He tried to prove to himself that he would not run from a battle because in reality, “he was an unknown quantity”. However, in the beginning of his first fight, he does not run like he believes he would. Instead, he fights. The youth achieved one thought in all this chaos. The fear which had caused the other troops to flee had not affected him. They had driven the enemy back and Henry feels good about himself. However, this satisfaction is short lived when a huge amount of enemy troops advances from the forest. He looses all of his safety and courage when a man near him runs away from the battle. Henry runs away in fright as well, only to discover they had not lost the fight. “The youth cringed as if discovered in a crime. By heavens, they had won after all!” He realized that he, a tiny part of an army, has ran to save himself while many others fought till death. Upset and guilty, he goes into the thick woods instead of turning back to his