If you were being charged at by thousands of soldiers ready to shoot right at you, would you flee or hold your ground? In the Red Badge of Courage ( Scribner, 1894) author Stephen Crane questions the difference between courage, and cowardice. Henry Fleming is a teenager that has a special interest in combat. He does not consider the grave possibilities or even the disastrous events that can take place while in battle. Henry just wants to serve in the Union Army to make an immediate impact on the war. He also wants to make a name for himself- being a hero in the war. After Henry encounters the Confederate soldiers in his first battle, fear of dying overwhelms him, and he runs as far away as he can from the war. When Henry later comes back to
