Red Badge Of Courage Book Review Essay
Red Badge of Courage Book Review
Great novels aren’t just born, they’re created by people who put time and effort to create something extraordinary for their audience to experience first hand. Most novels written by authors are easily forgotten by their readers, but there are only a handful of novels that will always be passed down from generation to generation. They tell more than a story, they tell a moral, a significant message that will always be remembered. Novels like In Search of Lost Time, Hamlet, The Odyssey, and War and Peace will be recalled for generations to come. They are unique novels that carry a lesson that can’t be taught through anything else, except for the novel itself. Stephen Crane has outdone himself with one of his great works that he created, one of the most …show more content…
innovated novels I’ve ever had the chance to experience. The Red Badge of Courage can compete against any great novel and give it a run for its money. It is hands down an inspirational story that can’t compare to anything I have ever encountered.
The Red Badge of Courage was published on October 5, 1895 containing 145 pages of inspirational text. The novel is introduced during the Civil War where the story of Henry Fleming is just beginning to develop. Henry Fleming is a teenager who is enlisted in the Union Army, who was drawn to the glory of war, never realizing what he actually signed up for. He hoped to fulfill his glorious dreams of war, being the best soldier there is until he faces reality. Fleming fears that once engaged in battle, he might flee fearing for his life. As the novel progresses, Fleming’s regiment is called into battle and they march in to fight the Confederates. After a grueling, long march, they hear the distant sounds of gunshots and cannons being fired. Fleming’s 304 Regiment stands in positions as they charge against the enemy and Fleming is not able to flee even if he wanted to being boxed in by his fellow soldiers. Eventually, as the gunshots die down the Union defeats the Confederates and the soldiers congratulate each other on it. Nevertheless, as Henry is taking a nap he wakes abruptly to find the Confederates are attacking his camp. Struck with true terror he flees from
battle leaving his fellow soldiers to fend for themselves. Fleming tries to convince himself he isn’t a coward and his regiment was fools who died fighting. However, as a general on horseback passes him he overhears that his regiment had held off the enemy. Ashamed of his cowardice, he convinces himself it was necessary for survival. Moreover, as the novel develops Henry meets a tattered man who has been shot twice who boasts of the fact that his regiment did not flee. This makes him realize what he has been doing and it makes him open his eyes to what war really is. He wants to experience “a red badge of courage” which is a wound from battle that proves your gallant behavior. As he approaches battle again this time Fleming stays and defends his regiment proudly without a single thought of fear. The dishonor that he has placed on himself of leaving his fellow soldiers kicks in and he yearns to prove he is as strong and valorous as he knows himself to be. Soon after the attack diminishes, Henry is praised on his excellent fighting strength. Furthermore, towards the end of the story Henry with the help of Wilson and his regiment captures the enemy flag, their territory and takes four prisoners. He then contemplates long and hard on his experiences of what war really is. He accepts the cowardly options and puts the guilt behind him, now knowing he experienced what “the red sickness” of battle is. Fleming has achieved his goal and now able to find peace with himself knowing that he is a real soldier who survived what war has offered.
To start off with, Stephen Crane has organized his novel into short chapters more like journal entries for the reader to experience first hand how Fleming felt about his time of war. Crane’s setup can be easily related to The Diary of Anne Frank as both novels are in times of hardship. His technique of developing his novel like so is extremely effective when relating to personal experience and in this case Henry’s experience of war. Generally speaking, the short chapters Crane was able to bring about lets the readers encounter closely with the soldiers firsthand on how they felt. Moreover, it adds to an in depth explanation able to relate to the main character both physically and mentally. Cranes setup of his novel encases some very essential themes that we encountered throughout the story. One theme that was evident is courage, the ability to do something that frightens one. Henry fled from war many times throughout the novel, but he soon realizes to accomplish what he set to do he needs to put his foot down and fight this war himself. Running away will never make anything better and as he stepped to the plate he felt better about himself on what he was able to accomplish in the end. Another strong theme was Henry’s manhood which he tried to maintain throughout the novel. He thought war was all glory until he underwent the hardships of war, now knowing what he is up against. He lost his manhood by fleeing from battle, but eventually towards the end of the novel he is able to recover it by his valorous efforts. Particularly, the main theme of the story is how a naive teenager struggles to find contentment with himself in the difficult times of war.
Moreover, Crane is passing a moral down through his novel. Crane shows us that we shouldn’t run away in times of fear, but confront it. Towards the end of the novel, Henry fights for what he believes and walks away proud of his accomplishment.
His self-pride was now entirely restored. In the shade of its flourishing growth he stood with braced and self-confident legs, and since nothing could now be discovered he did not shrink from an encounter with the eyes of judges, and allowed no thoughts of his own to keep him from an attitude of manfulness. He had performed his mistakes in the dark, so he was still a man. (Chapter 15)
Crane shows us that Henry was able to preserve his dignity as he opened his eyes and fought for what he came to do. Crane supports the argument by allowing Henry to feel guilty for what he has done, but he then admits to what he has done and stepping up to the plate for it. Crane’s initial thesis is to show courage and always face it headstrong, but admit your mistakes as well. Without admitting your mistakes you’ll never truly move on to find courageousness. Furthermore, the writer’s style was informal. It was easy for the audience to connect with Henry on a social level where we have all experienced something and chose to run away. The novel itself was set up like journal entries to indicate a friendly book for all to read. It wasn’t constricted by its vocabulary or insane structure. The quality of the writing was phonomenal, it flowed easily throughout the book letting the audience know what was happening to Henry every chapter. The vocabulary was descriptive, but understanding to all. In short, Crane was able to create a novel accessible for all to read due to it’s simplicity, clear central argument, and flowiness of the novel itself.
The Red Badge of Courage would never have been thought to be created due to Crane’s imagination. Crane never experiencing war or witnessed it to create a book with such detail is phenomenal. His imagination exceeds most people to be able to create something from nothing. Nevertheless, Crane could’ve wrote the novel due to his imagination as a little kid, thinking about war stories and letting his imagination take him. This can be a reason why Henry was so naive to the reality of war not knowing what to expect just like Crane. There was not a main purpose of writing this book, it could’ve been to show important life lessons like courage, or to show the tough times of war. Which is ironic since this was Crane’s imagination and not life experiences. Nevertheless, this novel in my perspective is for kids or up and coming teenagers. Crane has developed a great moral within the book about couragousness to help kids or teenagers always face their fear head on, due to the fact kids or teens need a boost of confidence as they are growing older in adulthood. The book did affect me, it made me contemplate on what I’ve done that hasn’t shown courage. It made me realize times I would’ve done something different in the past and it would’ve made me a better person today. Now it has taught me a moral on where you can’t give up on any of your dreams even if the fear seems overwhelming. You just have to face it head on.
Evidently, even though Crane didn’t have any knowledge of war I was very convinced in his arguments. “He found that he could look back upon the brass and bombast of his earlier gospels and see them truly. He was gleeful when he discovered that he now despised them. With the conviction came a store of assurance” (145). He showed that even if fear takes over your courage, eventually you’ll overcome that fear and be able to realize who you truly are. The quote shows that even though Henry felt ashamed of his actions he quickly took notice of them and that’s what made him a better person because of it. An American social group that would agree upon Crane’s work would be the American soldiers who actually experienced war firsthand. They would know how it would feel unable to do anything, but cower in fear. They would relate to Crane’s book because everybody has been fearful in some point of their life and war will definitely bring out the fear in someone.
Ultimately, this is a very compelling book that teaches you lessons that just can't be taught by hand. This is an innovated book that will always be remembered for centuries to come. I would highly recommend this book to someone. It has taught me that you should always face your fears and always admit your mistakes because that is only when you can find peace within yourself. American History has a lot of war behind it. We became a nation because of war and it has taught me to always be thankful for the soldiers who go into war for us, American citizens. It aids me to understand that war is a fearful time for everybody and it shouldn’t ever be taken lightly. Themes like courage, manhood, and honestly are still relevant in today's American society. People need courage everyday to do something they’re not used to doing and when they accomplish that task they can feel at peace. In addition, if you cheat your way into making yourself a better person you are only hurting yourself because it’s not bettering you as a person, but worsening you. This is why honestly will always play a big part of who you are and stay relevant to our society for ages to come. The book reveals that nobody actually knew how war was like and Crane wrote this book to explain the harsh realities of facing war. Life in the United States after the Civil War was thought as your time to do whatever you wanted, but nobody actually thought into what war did to people. The book suggests nothing should ever be taken lightly because you have to be able to have courage and do something yourself without letting fear take over. Crane has made me wonder that if he had experienced war would this novel have came out different? Moreover, what was the purpose of writing this war novel when there are so many already published, what was it to show? In conclusion, The Red Badge of Courage will be a book that will be passed on for generations to come with it’s thoughtful themes and enticing plot.
Great novels aren’t just born, they’re created by people who put time and effort to create something extraordinary for their audience to experience first hand. Most novels written by authors are easily forgotten by their readers, but there are only a handful of novels that will always be passed down from generation to generation. They tell more than a story, they tell a moral, a significant message that will always be remembered. Novels like In Search of Lost Time, Hamlet, The Odyssey, and War and Peace will be recalled for generations to come. They are unique novels that carry a lesson that can’t be taught through anything else, except for the novel itself. Stephen Crane has outdone himself with one of his great works that he created, one of the most …show more content…
innovated novels I’ve ever had the chance to experience. The Red Badge of Courage can compete against any great novel and give it a run for its money. It is hands down an inspirational story that can’t compare to anything I have ever encountered.
The Red Badge of Courage was published on October 5, 1895 containing 145 pages of inspirational text. The novel is introduced during the Civil War where the story of Henry Fleming is just beginning to develop. Henry Fleming is a teenager who is enlisted in the Union Army, who was drawn to the glory of war, never realizing what he actually signed up for. He hoped to fulfill his glorious dreams of war, being the best soldier there is until he faces reality. Fleming fears that once engaged in battle, he might flee fearing for his life. As the novel progresses, Fleming’s regiment is called into battle and they march in to fight the Confederates. After a grueling, long march, they hear the distant sounds of gunshots and cannons being fired. Fleming’s 304 Regiment stands in positions as they charge against the enemy and Fleming is not able to flee even if he wanted to being boxed in by his fellow soldiers. Eventually, as the gunshots die down the Union defeats the Confederates and the soldiers congratulate each other on it. Nevertheless, as Henry is taking a nap he wakes abruptly to find the Confederates are attacking his camp. Struck with true terror he flees from
battle leaving his fellow soldiers to fend for themselves. Fleming tries to convince himself he isn’t a coward and his regiment was fools who died fighting. However, as a general on horseback passes him he overhears that his regiment had held off the enemy. Ashamed of his cowardice, he convinces himself it was necessary for survival. Moreover, as the novel develops Henry meets a tattered man who has been shot twice who boasts of the fact that his regiment did not flee. This makes him realize what he has been doing and it makes him open his eyes to what war really is. He wants to experience “a red badge of courage” which is a wound from battle that proves your gallant behavior. As he approaches battle again this time Fleming stays and defends his regiment proudly without a single thought of fear. The dishonor that he has placed on himself of leaving his fellow soldiers kicks in and he yearns to prove he is as strong and valorous as he knows himself to be. Soon after the attack diminishes, Henry is praised on his excellent fighting strength. Furthermore, towards the end of the story Henry with the help of Wilson and his regiment captures the enemy flag, their territory and takes four prisoners. He then contemplates long and hard on his experiences of what war really is. He accepts the cowardly options and puts the guilt behind him, now knowing he experienced what “the red sickness” of battle is. Fleming has achieved his goal and now able to find peace with himself knowing that he is a real soldier who survived what war has offered.
To start off with, Stephen Crane has organized his novel into short chapters more like journal entries for the reader to experience first hand how Fleming felt about his time of war. Crane’s setup can be easily related to The Diary of Anne Frank as both novels are in times of hardship. His technique of developing his novel like so is extremely effective when relating to personal experience and in this case Henry’s experience of war. Generally speaking, the short chapters Crane was able to bring about lets the readers encounter closely with the soldiers firsthand on how they felt. Moreover, it adds to an in depth explanation able to relate to the main character both physically and mentally. Cranes setup of his novel encases some very essential themes that we encountered throughout the story. One theme that was evident is courage, the ability to do something that frightens one. Henry fled from war many times throughout the novel, but he soon realizes to accomplish what he set to do he needs to put his foot down and fight this war himself. Running away will never make anything better and as he stepped to the plate he felt better about himself on what he was able to accomplish in the end. Another strong theme was Henry’s manhood which he tried to maintain throughout the novel. He thought war was all glory until he underwent the hardships of war, now knowing what he is up against. He lost his manhood by fleeing from battle, but eventually towards the end of the novel he is able to recover it by his valorous efforts. Particularly, the main theme of the story is how a naive teenager struggles to find contentment with himself in the difficult times of war.
Moreover, Crane is passing a moral down through his novel. Crane shows us that we shouldn’t run away in times of fear, but confront it. Towards the end of the novel, Henry fights for what he believes and walks away proud of his accomplishment.
His self-pride was now entirely restored. In the shade of its flourishing growth he stood with braced and self-confident legs, and since nothing could now be discovered he did not shrink from an encounter with the eyes of judges, and allowed no thoughts of his own to keep him from an attitude of manfulness. He had performed his mistakes in the dark, so he was still a man. (Chapter 15)
Crane shows us that Henry was able to preserve his dignity as he opened his eyes and fought for what he came to do. Crane supports the argument by allowing Henry to feel guilty for what he has done, but he then admits to what he has done and stepping up to the plate for it. Crane’s initial thesis is to show courage and always face it headstrong, but admit your mistakes as well. Without admitting your mistakes you’ll never truly move on to find courageousness. Furthermore, the writer’s style was informal. It was easy for the audience to connect with Henry on a social level where we have all experienced something and chose to run away. The novel itself was set up like journal entries to indicate a friendly book for all to read. It wasn’t constricted by its vocabulary or insane structure. The quality of the writing was phonomenal, it flowed easily throughout the book letting the audience know what was happening to Henry every chapter. The vocabulary was descriptive, but understanding to all. In short, Crane was able to create a novel accessible for all to read due to it’s simplicity, clear central argument, and flowiness of the novel itself.
The Red Badge of Courage would never have been thought to be created due to Crane’s imagination. Crane never experiencing war or witnessed it to create a book with such detail is phenomenal. His imagination exceeds most people to be able to create something from nothing. Nevertheless, Crane could’ve wrote the novel due to his imagination as a little kid, thinking about war stories and letting his imagination take him. This can be a reason why Henry was so naive to the reality of war not knowing what to expect just like Crane. There was not a main purpose of writing this book, it could’ve been to show important life lessons like courage, or to show the tough times of war. Which is ironic since this was Crane’s imagination and not life experiences. Nevertheless, this novel in my perspective is for kids or up and coming teenagers. Crane has developed a great moral within the book about couragousness to help kids or teenagers always face their fear head on, due to the fact kids or teens need a boost of confidence as they are growing older in adulthood. The book did affect me, it made me contemplate on what I’ve done that hasn’t shown courage. It made me realize times I would’ve done something different in the past and it would’ve made me a better person today. Now it has taught me a moral on where you can’t give up on any of your dreams even if the fear seems overwhelming. You just have to face it head on.
Evidently, even though Crane didn’t have any knowledge of war I was very convinced in his arguments. “He found that he could look back upon the brass and bombast of his earlier gospels and see them truly. He was gleeful when he discovered that he now despised them. With the conviction came a store of assurance” (145). He showed that even if fear takes over your courage, eventually you’ll overcome that fear and be able to realize who you truly are. The quote shows that even though Henry felt ashamed of his actions he quickly took notice of them and that’s what made him a better person because of it. An American social group that would agree upon Crane’s work would be the American soldiers who actually experienced war firsthand. They would know how it would feel unable to do anything, but cower in fear. They would relate to Crane’s book because everybody has been fearful in some point of their life and war will definitely bring out the fear in someone.
Ultimately, this is a very compelling book that teaches you lessons that just can't be taught by hand. This is an innovated book that will always be remembered for centuries to come. I would highly recommend this book to someone. It has taught me that you should always face your fears and always admit your mistakes because that is only when you can find peace within yourself. American History has a lot of war behind it. We became a nation because of war and it has taught me to always be thankful for the soldiers who go into war for us, American citizens. It aids me to understand that war is a fearful time for everybody and it shouldn’t ever be taken lightly. Themes like courage, manhood, and honestly are still relevant in today's American society. People need courage everyday to do something they’re not used to doing and when they accomplish that task they can feel at peace. In addition, if you cheat your way into making yourself a better person you are only hurting yourself because it’s not bettering you as a person, but worsening you. This is why honestly will always play a big part of who you are and stay relevant to our society for ages to come. The book reveals that nobody actually knew how war was like and Crane wrote this book to explain the harsh realities of facing war. Life in the United States after the Civil War was thought as your time to do whatever you wanted, but nobody actually thought into what war did to people. The book suggests nothing should ever be taken lightly because you have to be able to have courage and do something yourself without letting fear take over. Crane has made me wonder that if he had experienced war would this novel have came out different? Moreover, what was the purpose of writing this war novel when there are so many already published, what was it to show? In conclusion, The Red Badge of Courage will be a book that will be passed on for generations to come with it’s thoughtful themes and enticing plot.