“No man has ever risen to the real stature of spiritual manhood until he has found that it is finer to serve somebody else than it is to serve himself.” “The Red Badge of Courage” by author Stephen Crane is one of the first modern American novels which takes place during the American Civil War where the episodic plot revolves around a young Union soldier’s anxiety as he confronts his first battle and explores larger themes of fear and bravery, patriotism, brotherhood, and manhood. The main theme of the novel deals with Henry Fleming’s attempt to prove himself a worthy soldier by earning his “red badge of courage”. The first twelve chapters, until he receives his accidental wound, expose his cowardice. The following chapters detail his growth
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After running away from the first battle, when Henry sees a tattered soldier is about to die, instead of taking care of the tattered soldier, Henry abandons him in a field. His callous selfishness is sparked when the tattered soldier has asked where Henry is wounded. Thus, Henry is still agonizing over his lack of courage in his second battle. His agony now is more about whether other soldiers will realize he fled and the fact that he doesn't have a "red badge of courage" to prove his bravery. Also, he misses many opportunities at several times in the novel to be realistic and honest with his comrades and most importantly, himself and to speak out the truth that he ran from the battle because he was taken away by the fear of inevitable death. Moreover, he continues to rationalize his flight, and "he felt his self-respect growing strong within him." In Chapter 24, Crane says, “He [Henry] began to study his deeds, his failures… Yet gradually he mustered force to put the sin at a distance… he could look back upon the brass and bombast of his earlier gospels and see them truly… He felt a quiet manhood, non-assertive but of sturdy and strong blood. He had been to touch the great death, …show more content…
Henry’s transition into manhood comes with his ability to admit his mistakes, to acknowledge his cowardice and selfishness, and to see the things he would have done differently. The idea that Henry “the youth” had transformed into “the man” are displayed by the events where he stands tall and fights courageously against the enemy in his first battle, encourages his regiment to defeat the Confederates without even caring about his life, and feels guilty for all his bad and selfish deeds and attempts to redeem for all those shameful actions he did. Life is full of transitions, and the transition to adulthood is a critical stage of human development during which young people leave childhood behind and take on new roles and responsibilities. It is a period of social, psychological, economic, and biological transitions, and for many young people it involves demanding emotional challenges and important choices. To a large degree, the nature and quality of young people’s future lives depend on how successfully they negotiate through this critical period. Based on the changes of the “Youth,” the novel could imply to the readers that in order to be an adult, you should be able to take responsibility for your own actions and behavior, you should not be self-centered considering humanity, you should admit your errors
After running away from the first battle, when Henry sees a tattered soldier is about to die, instead of taking care of the tattered soldier, Henry abandons him in a field. His callous selfishness is sparked when the tattered soldier has asked where Henry is wounded. Thus, Henry is still agonizing over his lack of courage in his second battle. His agony now is more about whether other soldiers will realize he fled and the fact that he doesn't have a "red badge of courage" to prove his bravery. Also, he misses many opportunities at several times in the novel to be realistic and honest with his comrades and most importantly, himself and to speak out the truth that he ran from the battle because he was taken away by the fear of inevitable death. Moreover, he continues to rationalize his flight, and "he felt his self-respect growing strong within him." In Chapter 24, Crane says, “He [Henry] began to study his deeds, his failures… Yet gradually he mustered force to put the sin at a distance… he could look back upon the brass and bombast of his earlier gospels and see them truly… He felt a quiet manhood, non-assertive but of sturdy and strong blood. He had been to touch the great death, …show more content…
Henry’s transition into manhood comes with his ability to admit his mistakes, to acknowledge his cowardice and selfishness, and to see the things he would have done differently. The idea that Henry “the youth” had transformed into “the man” are displayed by the events where he stands tall and fights courageously against the enemy in his first battle, encourages his regiment to defeat the Confederates without even caring about his life, and feels guilty for all his bad and selfish deeds and attempts to redeem for all those shameful actions he did. Life is full of transitions, and the transition to adulthood is a critical stage of human development during which young people leave childhood behind and take on new roles and responsibilities. It is a period of social, psychological, economic, and biological transitions, and for many young people it involves demanding emotional challenges and important choices. To a large degree, the nature and quality of young people’s future lives depend on how successfully they negotiate through this critical period. Based on the changes of the “Youth,” the novel could imply to the readers that in order to be an adult, you should be able to take responsibility for your own actions and behavior, you should not be self-centered considering humanity, you should admit your errors