Examples Of Cowardice In Red Badge Of Courage

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Cowardice is defined as a lack of bravery, but can have several other meanings according to different people. In the story Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, Henry shows traits of cowardice in a multitude of ways during his experiences at war. Henry joined the army with the hope of becoming a hero, although no sign of heroism is shown throughout the story. Fleming's high expectations for himself do not make up for his actions in Red Badge of Courage.
Despite Henry's high ego, dialogue in Red Badge of Courage reveals his cowardly true nature. Fleming saw himself as a hero in battle, but when faced with the reality of war, his imaginations did not come true. For instance, during the march to battle, Henry was continuously complaining about …show more content…

Fleming's attitude and behavior in the story allow readers to view him as cowardly. For example, when Henry made his way back to his regiment, he wanted to hide from them with the fear they would find out he ran from battle earlier. It is explained that Henry “made vague plans to go off into the deeper darkness and hide” (Crane 103). Instead of facing his fears and being brave, Fleming just wanted to hide. Another way Henry's cowardice was shown through characterization was when he fled from battle. In that moment, he assumed his side was losing the battle, and the logical solution was to run. However Fleming later learned that his regiment was in fact winning, but still decided not to return and help, fearing what people would say and think about him retreating. It is detailed how Henry “threw down his gun and fled. There was no shame in his face. He ran like a rabbit” (Crane 56). Henry had no hesitation in his choice, at the first sign of danger he …show more content…

Different scenes in the story affect Fleming in different ways, however his reactions are always the cowardly. For example, after the battle ended, Henry saw all the confederate corpses and became so frightened he went into a trance. “The despair of the lost was in his eyes as he glanced back at them”(Crane 178). The fear that Henry and his friends had caused all those people to die made him forget that they had won, and everyone was waiting for him to raise the flag. In addition, Henry tells himself that the reason he ran from battle was because he was smart and knew that danger was coming, when in fact his regiment was actually winning. “He had fled, he told himself, because annihilation approached. He had done a good part in saving himself” (Crane 62). The fact that Henry tried to make excuses for retreating instead of going back and fighting uncovers his lack of

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