Red Badge of Courage Analysis

War isn't a walk in the park, that's a given. But what can come from war other than external wounds are internal blemishes that can only be righted by the mind itself. These faults could be numerous hinderances, such as immatuarity, selfishness, and jealousy, to name a few. In it's storyline, The Red Badge of Courage, acknowledges them all through the thoughts of the main character, Henry, and the friends he makes along the way. Through the materialization of basic human flaw, Stephen Crane yields these traits then fixes them through experience and battle, both inwardly and outwardly.

Youth to maturation was a common topic of the novel, and perhaps the most obvious one. The transition the Wilson faced from being the loud soldier in his introduction to a calmer, more mature one was obvious in both his manners of acting and behaviour towards the war effort. Early on, he had the attitude of a youthful, rowdy soldier confident in his ability to overtake the entire confederate army with nothing but gun in hands and boots on the ground (pg 18). When asked by the doubtful Henry on "fighting or flying" in the face of danger, Wilson smugly replied with, '"Run?...run?-of course not!"' Later in the story, before they entered the first battle, Wilson became grim, suddenly unsure of the battle's outcome and the effect it would impose on the regiment. From here on, though the reader is spared of any more detail in pertanence to Wilson (momentarily suggesting his death, as we only see the story in the view of Henry), until Wilson is met up by Henry in the Union camp, seemingly with a softer and more humbled attitude (pg 90). Wilson is the representation of maturation from outspoken, rude, and self-centered to helpful, humble, and unfazed by the ...

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...cond battle, he runs from his regiment -somehthing which he is later ashamed of, but not wrong for. Through a series of events, Henry is made to comprehend that there is no justice in war: the good will die, nature will not shed a tear for the lost and chaneges have to be made in order to prevail. And prevail he does after he let's go of his childish jealousy and high-expectations then recognizes he world was made for him.

At the end of it all, Henry reaches a matured state not only because on account of his experience, but because of his realizations on how the battle scars don't make a hero, but how his actions and sacrifices made him who he was. He came to an understanding of how in life there are changes, tragedy, and ill-will, all brought together by exuberant, lasting moments of rejoicing, just like real life.

Works Cited

Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane.