Stephen Crane

The Red Badge of Courage Illustrated Stephen Crane

The Red Badge of Courage tells the story of Henry Fleming, a young recruit who's gearing up for his first battle in the Union army. Over the next two days he flees, then returns, then fights, and by the end is raising the flag and leading his regiment in victory. On one level, it's a traditional hero's journey that had been told for thousands of years. But that traditional arc is subverted throughout this story. Most of the 'action' takes place in Henry's mind, so we see him in all of his flaws. He is hopelessly naive at the beginning of the book. At his first taste of battle, his cowardice causes him not only to flee but later to abandon an injured comrade. The fighting itself is presented as chaotic, with the characters and the reader generally in the dark about how the battle is progressing. Finally, the soldiers don't talk about grand causes or motivations for fighting-like preserving the Union or ending slavery-they simply fight for each other.