How Has Stephen Crane Changed America

Throughout history, authors have written novels that have changed America. Stephen Crane, was a premier realistic writer and helped establish the foundations of American naturalism. Naturalism gives readers a different view on novels as it added scientific elements such as environment and heredity to fictional characters. “His Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage (1895) is a classic of American literature that realistically depicts the psychological complexities of fear and courage on the battlefield” (Poetry Foundation).Stephen Crane was one of the most influential writers during the 19th century. Stephen Crane was born on November 1st, 1871 to Mary Helen Peck Crane and Reverend Jonathan Townley Crane. The youngest out of fourteen children, his family influenced his love for writing as his mother and father both wrote
religious articles and two of his brothers were journalist.Crane’s father passed away in 1880, leaving his strong wife to care for fourteen children. Crane attended a Methodist boarding school from 1885 to 1887 and following that he attended preparatory school at Claverack College. He attended Syracuse University where he focused on baseball and put his social life above his academics. His mother died while he was in college. Crane worked as a freelance writer for his brother's news service.
Working here, Crane sketched out his first novel, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (1893). Crane decided that "humanity was a more interesting study" than the college curriculum. Crane soon then dropped out of college becoming a full time reporter for New York Tribune. Working here, Crane finished his first novel Maggie. The novel was initially rejected by several publishers who feared that Crane's story of slum life would shock readers, as the book portrayed a innocent and abused girl that went into prostitution and eventually her death. “Critics suggest that the novel was a major development in American literary Naturalism and that it introduced Crane's vision of life as warfare: influenced by the Darwinism of the times, Crane viewed individuals as victims of purposeless forces and believed that they encountered only hostility in their relationships with other individuals, with society, with nature, and with God”(Poetry Foundation). After the rejection of his first novel, Crane began on his second novel The Red Badge of Courage, which soon later made hi internationally
famous.
Stephen Crane’s book The Red Badge of Courage, destroys readers perceptive of war, as he set out to show the realism of war. “Crane shows the true nature of war by contrasting Henry Fleming's romantic expectations with the reality that he encounters”(Sheri Helms). During the 19th century people perceived war as an appealing, romantic endeavor full of glory and heroism but Crane shows war in its true reality. His main character Henry, enlists in the army and says bye to his mom with a "light of excitement and expectancy in his eyes" (Red Badge of Courage). He waits for his mother to respond in a romantic and sentimental way and prepares lines in which he hopes to use "with touching effect" to create "a beautiful scene" (Red Badge of Courage). Crane in contrast shows the mother being more realistic. Shs destroys Henry’s hopes by offering practical advice in her good-bye speech. Her send-off is so different from what Henry expects that he is irritated and "impatient under the ordeal" of the speech (Red Badge of Courage). When Henry actually gets into battle, reality hits him. He longed to see bloody conflicts but instead witnessed a foul atmosphere. As Henry continues on his journey in war, Crane shows many more reality checks for henry, and by the end of the novel, Henry considered himself a soldier. He was not furious at small words that pricked his conceits. He was no more a loud young soldier. There was about him now a fine reliance. He showed a quiet belief in his purposes and his abilities. And this inward confidence evidently enabled him to be indifferent to little words of other men aimed at him. (The Red Badge of Courage)
Stephen Crane’s portrayal of war shocked America. The realist author introduced naturalism and changed the country. Crane’s health had been deteriorating for many years, and on June 5,1900 he passed away due to tuberculosis at the age of 28. Stephen Crane set the foundation for American naturalism, and he did so through his book The Red Badge of Courage.