How Is Fred Collins A Dynamic Character

Throughout Stephen Crane's short story “A Mystery of Heroism”, the reader can use text evidence to support the main character could be either static or dynamic. At the beginning of the story, the main character Fred Collins, expresses to his comrades he is thirsty. He then goes on a journey to fetch this water, but when he returns to the regiment, the water is immediately snatched from his hands and Collins remains thirsty.

Although he remains static in regards to the plot, realist writing focuses on character development rather than plot sequence. Stephen Crane encourages the reader to analyze Fred Collins from many different literary characterizations, but it is the main characters courageous acts and progressive thoughtfulness which allows the reader to conclude he is a dynamic approvable character.

Fred Collins beings as a character who is constantly debating whether he should or should not travel on a quest through a treacherous meadow where two characters travel into, with the intent to die. Collins ponders on a comment made by her colonel, when he refers to his journey “a pretty big risk for a little water” (page 3; line 107). Despite the fact of other members of his regiment affirms he is “ a desperate cuss” (4, 140) because they “ain’t dyin’ of thirst” (4; 138), Collins

concludes he will travel to fetch water thus exhibiting many traits of an approvable dynamic character.

Furthermore, amid Collins’s trip across the battlegrounds he recognizes his surroundings of “ flying arrows” and “earthquake explosions” .(4; 143).

In this event, Fred Collins also comes to the realization; he was “squared up the face of death” (4; 144) but was “mainly surprised” (4; 146), because he was not apprehensive in the least. Collins begins to address himself as “a hero” (4; 154) because he does “not feel this fear” (4;154) even though he was “no more than a dead man” (5;198). The examples of staying calm within a time of terror, whereas in previous times Collins reacted as a foolish young man, displays Collins as a true representation of an approvable dynamic

character.

In the chaos of Collins’s surroundings, a major who has fallen in the meadow, cries for some of Collin’s water. Initially collins response is “ I can’t” and continues running. It was not until “ Collins turned.” (6; 223) the reader recognizes heroic traits of Fred Collins. In the midst of bullets flying and cannons exploding, Collins frantically treks back to give water to a man whose in the process of dying. Once Fred returns, the officer gives him “ a faint shadow of a smile” (6;231) which the reader can conclude, Fred Collins was most likely a hero to the officer. It is the unselfishness newly presented by Fred Collins which then allows the reader to characterize him as approvable and dynamic.