Red Badge of Courage
Throughout the novel The Red Badge of Courage, written by Stephen Crane, a theme is portrayed within a battle that takes place during the Civil War. It is that each person must find the courage to win his or her won battle for maturity or adulthood. A soldier, who is also the main character, Henry Fleming, exemplifies this theme. Henry Fleming begins as an immature soldier who enlists in the army without knowing a reason why. Henry has a romantic view of the war, and expects it to be glorious: “They [battles] might not be distinctly Homeric, but there seemed to be much gl
He [Henry] had read of marches, sieges, conflicts, and he had longed to see it all. As a mature person he can learn from his mistakes. After a general makes a derogatory remark about Henry and his comrades, it reveals Henry’s change of attitude. Henry starts to realize that there are no heroes and that there are no individuals: “He had grown to regard himself merely as a part of a vast blue demonstration. Because of the success of fighting bravely, Henry has the self-esteem to deal with his mistakes as an adult. ” Henry obviously lacks maturity because he was very determined to enlist in the army, but tries to blame the government for being at war. By the end of the novel, I feel Henry has changed and he knows it. It isn’t a mature action, but he is mature to realize the magnitude of running. He has become a soldier that gained courage, responsibility, and can admit his wrongdoing. ” Henry deserts a dying soldier and runs from a battle, but recognizes that running away was wrong. Henry looses some of his selfishness and gains concern for others, another stepping stone: “He felt the subtle battle brotherhood more potent even than the cause for which he was fighting. ” Therefore he is beginning to fight the battle within himself into adulthood. ” By gaining new qualities and confronting his cowardice, he is truly mature: “He felt a quiet manhood, nonassertive but of sturdy and strong blood.
Common topics in this essay:
Henry Fleming,
Civil War,
Stephen Crane,
Badge Courage,
Adulthood Throughout,
dying soldier,
henry fleming,
battle adulthood,
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