The Red Badge Of Courage Naturalism Analysis

The external world and one’s surroundings influence and shape a person. Artists and authors often draw from these influences to communicate societal truths and create works that shock the public. Up until 1865, authors tended towards a style of Romanticism, and formed their experiences into a dramatized version of itself . However, when America saw devastation on its own ground, manifested in the Civil War , authors transitioned to more unidealized approaches in writing. The styles of Realism and Naturalism arose, offering stark differences from the popular manner of the time. Stephen Crane is one such Naturalistic writer who helped to galvanize the shift from Romanticism. He studied the Civil War and expanded upon his findings, creating a
Romanticism aimed to glorify and make-beautiful the tragedies of brutality and death. Typical literary accounts of the Civil War up until this time had taken a style of Romanticism, dignifying the nobility of war. Authors would speak little of the emotional trauma and the devastating damage generated by ruthless and barbaric bloodshed. Rather, the focus shifted to courage, valor, and the esteem earned by those who served in the war. Crane takes a shockingly different direction in his story, as well as in his depiction of war. He speaks of the cost of the experience being a loss of innocence. When a man witnesses death, decease, infections, amputations, and even goes so far as to take another man’s life, he no longer sees the world the same way. They lose their child-like nature. Crane achieves this theme by the use of Naturalism (Stephen Crane 1871-1900). The violence is graphic, and the death toll is high. It paints a truly deplorable scene of war. The protagonist of The Red Badge of Courage, Henry Flemming, struggles internally with cowardice and overcoming egoism. While Crane’s character is developing, the battle rages on. He grows under the adverse conditions of war, further showing the effect of intense conflict. Crane uses a detached approach narrative to present an honest image of the tragedy of war. His revolutionary account of the Civil War shocked and
Crane accurately depicts the Civil War for what it is: the bloodiest war in American history. Unlike common Romanticist writers, he employed Naturalism in his work, earning him notice and praise. This novel has proven to be an important piece of literature, as it speaks of serious issues pertinent during the life of Stephen Crane and in the modern world. His writing helped achieve a strong, lasting position for Naturalism in literature. The success of Crane’s writing has since secured him a lasting standing as one of America’s greatest authors. The life Stephen Crane lead influenced the path his novel took, and the American people are all the more grateful for