The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
‘The Red Badge of Courage’ is a war novel set in America during the American Civil War, written by Stephen Crane. The book is about a young private, called Henry Flemming, who fears how he will react when he encounters his first battle. His worst fears come true when thrown into combat, and he flees, abandoning his fellow soldiers. Ashamed of his cowardice, he longs for a war-wound – ‘a red badge of courage’. When refaced with combat, he vents his rage for his lost friend at the enemy, fighting like a lion.
In truth, had I not been forced to read it I would never have picked up such a book. Despite the shortness of the book, I found that my concentration slipped at times as I didn’t feel the writing was particularly engaging. Furthermore I found many of the characters to be particularly boring, lacking personality.
On the other hand, I found it interesting to see the effects that battle can have upon a soldier- how it changed Henry Flemming from a coward into a brutal fighter, and therefore found him to be the most interesting character in the book. I also liked the idea of ‘a red badge of courage’, and how the soldiers felt a wound was something to wear with pride; like a badge of courage that proved their bravery in battle.
Overall, I would only recommend this book to a mature reader, as it lacks much excitement and consequently, like me, a younger reader might quickly lose interest. However, I would definitely recommend this book to anybody interested in the psychological impact of war, and how it can drastically change someone, as ‘The Red Badge of Courage’ focuses particularly well on the harsh realities of war.
‘The Red Badge of Courage’ is a war novel set in America during the American Civil War, written by Stephen Crane. The book is about a young private, called Henry Flemming, who fears how he will react when he encounters his first battle. His worst fears come true when thrown into combat, and he flees, abandoning his fellow soldiers. Ashamed of his cowardice, he longs for a war-wound – ‘a red badge of courage’. When refaced with combat, he vents his rage for his lost friend at the enemy, fighting like a lion.
In truth, had I not been forced to read it I would never have picked up such a book. Despite the shortness of the book, I found that my concentration slipped at times as I didn’t feel the writing was particularly engaging. Furthermore I found many of the characters to be particularly boring, lacking personality.
On the other hand, I found it interesting to see the effects that battle can have upon a soldier- how it changed Henry Flemming from a coward into a brutal fighter, and therefore found him to be the most interesting character in the book. I also liked the idea of ‘a red badge of courage’, and how the soldiers felt a wound was something to wear with pride; like a badge of courage that proved their bravery in battle.
Overall, I would only recommend this book to a mature reader, as it lacks much excitement and consequently, like me, a younger reader might quickly lose interest. However, I would definitely recommend this book to anybody interested in the psychological impact of war, and how it can drastically change someone, as ‘The Red Badge of Courage’ focuses particularly well on the harsh realities of war.