Examples Of Naturalism In The Red Badge Of Courage

In Cranes story, The Red Badge of Courage, he has more of a naturalist point of view however in some of his other short stories he shows more realism. His point of view from story to story changes, however throughout The Red Badge of Courage he keeps a naturalist point of you. Henry’s views of instinct, luck, and death all point towards naturalism.

In this case, Crane shows many signs of naturalism throughout The Red Badge of Courage. He believes in instinct. He shows he believes in naturalism when his instincts take over. Henry blames his instincts for running from the battle. In The Red Badge of Courage Henry says, “On the contrary, he had fled as fast as his legs could carry him; and he was but an ordinary squirrel.” Naturalism

has a scientific outlook and nature controls everything so people follow their instincts and not make their own choices. When Henry ran from the battle he believed he did not choose to run it was a survival instinct that made him run. He also believes in luck. After the officers made fun of Henry and the other men they got yelled at and did not complete the mission. In the Red Badge of Courage Henry says, “It’s just our awful luck, that’s what.” Like many other things Henry blamed it on luck. Crane shows naturalism in his thoughts about instinct and luck.
With this in mind, Crane shows different signs of naturalism throughout the story but one sign is death.

As Henry comes across the corpse he stops, but most of the regiment avoided the body. When he stopped at the corpse he wondered what happens when you die. Henry says, “Regardless death thus out of the corner of his eye, he conceived it to be nothing but rest, and he was filled with a momentary astonishment that he should have made an extraordinary commotion over the mere matter of getting killed. He would die; he would go to some place where he would be understood.” Henry removes any religious beliefs when he says after death it’s “nothing but rest”. Henry also says, “Once he thought he had concluded that it would be better to get killed directly and his his troubles.” He realized that neither nature or the universe have interest in the dead mean and that if he died they would have no interest either. His thoughts about death show signs he has a more naturalistic point of

view.
Above all, realism and naturalism are very different.

In realism you accept a situation as it comes and deal with it accordingly and naturalism people the believe that only natural laws and forces occur in the world. The background has a more realism point of view. A confederate in the background says, “One long, unbroken cheer, in which the feeble cry of those who lay helpless on the earth blended with the strong voices of those who still fought, rose high above the roar of battle… (Lee) sat in the full realization of all that soldiers dream of - triumph; and as I looked upon him in the complete fruition of his success which his genius, courage, and confidence in his army had won, I thought it must have been from some such a scene that men in ancient days ascended to the dignity of the gods.” Also a sign of realism in the article The Veteran. The old man in The Veteran says, “I thought they were all shooting at me. Yes, sir, I thought every man in the other army was aiming at me in particular, and only me. And it seemed so darned unreasonable, you know. I wanted to explain to 'em what an almighty good fellow I was, because I thought then they might quit all trying to hit me. But I couldn't explain, and they kept on being unreasonable--blim!--blam! bang! So I run!” Instead of saying his instincts made him run he says he ran himself. Both The Veteran and the background have a realism point of

view.
In the end, Crane shows naturalism or realism depending on the story. In the The Red Badge of Courage, Henry, believes in instincts taking over, after death you just rest, and luck making certain things happen. Crane shows naturalism in all the things he’s believes.