The red budge of courage - Essay Example

The red budge of courage This is an impressionist, naturalistic and realistic war novel by Stephen Crane. It encounters the happenings during the American Civil War. Stephen tells an enthusiastic, interesting and comic story of Henry Fleming, a young private of the Union Army. He portrays Fleming as a coward who flees from the battle field as a result of fear. Fleming is eaten up and disturbed by his act. To overcome his cowardice, his only wish is to have a wound. He finally acquires it. Brands it as a Red badge of courage. This badge inspires him to act as a standard bearer when his regiment faces the enemy again (Crane, 1917). The plot begins on a cold day near a river where the 304th regiments awaits battle. Fleming is undecided whether to continue waiting for the enemy and fight or run away. The major reason of his state is his mothers protest. His friend Conklin confirms to him that he would do the same thing if the other soldiers fled. Their enemy attacks them during the first battle forcing some of their soldiers to flee. Fleming flees too but got ashamed after hearing an announcement from the general denouncing their victory. He felt so ashamed that he decided to run into the nearest thicket. Apart from the decaying body he stumbles into, he also meet wounded soldiers in the thicket. He felt even more ashamed when one of the wounded soldiers asked him where he was wounded. Having no wound he dodges the question and continue with his journey. He encounters retreating disarray soldiers who hits and wounds his head. Being tired, hungry, thirsty and now wounded, Fleming decided to go back to his campsite despite the shame. The wound acted as his savior for the other soldiers believed he was wounded during the battle. They took good care of him being the youngest and his escape never came to the limelight. His secret and cowardice left in the past, Fleming joined the battle for the third time. His capability was proven during this battle. His flag of red badge of courage rest assured him in his heart. He became surprised when he discovered that the commanding officer viewed his regiment to be having a lackluster reputation. The general therefore ordered them forward without sparing any other regiment. Their final battle was a fierce one. The flag bearer becomes Fleming after color sergeant is killed. His regiment is the ring leader. They encounter confederates who open fire on them from their hide out. The officers order a change to avoid withering fire if they stay and disgrace if they retreat. Fleming led the men unarmed to attack the confederates. They defeated them. Took four men captives while the others fled for their lives. Fleming became a hero. His cowardice left in the past. A new ray of hope flickered in his heart. At long last peace prevailed in his heart as he embraced the reality. His face wore a broad smile as the reality drowned into him “the world was a world for him” he had fought tooth and nail. He led their army to victory. An external peace downed on him for he had made it (Crane, 1917). Stephen has brought out many themes from his novel. The major theme is heroism. Others are the themes of cowardice and indifferent nature of the world among others. The novel indeed shows step by step how Fleming fought to gain heroism from the thirteenth chapter to the last chapter. As much as he was a coward at the beginning, his courage and self esteem after he got the accidental wound drove him to his destination. He proved himself to be a capable solder during the third battle. He led his army unarmed to attack the confederates. He became the flag bearer after the fall of the sergeant. He fought like a wounded lion on the scorching sun. Caring the less about the rain, cold and even the intense heat. Finally he became a hero leaving the dark past to be a past tense. The theme of cowardice has covered the most part of the first twelve chapters. The major coward at the beginning of the novel is Fleming. Possessed by his romance, fear of the battle and mothers protest, Fleming decided to flee from his combat. This is seen as the greatest shame in the book. Fleming being young had just been reading stories about war and watching them on movies but had never encountered a real war. The reality of the encounters of a real war drowned on him when he decided to be a soldier. He feared to face the war and decided to run away. Fleming’s friend Conklin is also a coward. He agrees with Fleming that he would also flee when the other solders were fleeing. They went to fight as trained solders but now they were planning to flee. The confederate solders on the other hand are also cowards. Instead of facing their enemy and fighting back, they decided to run away from them leaving their fellows to be taken as prisoners. The indifference of the natural world is depicted properly in the novel. At the start of the battle the sky is described as fairy blue. The tranquility of nature is compared to a woman with a deep aversion to tragedy. Heaven is compared to the slaughter encountered on the battle field. The sweetness of nature and the destruction of war are impeccably brought out. Finally Fleming gets comfort in the laws of nature. The author has used many stylistic devices in his work. Local dialects, suspense, metaphor, symbolism and irony among others have made his book to be very interesting. It is very ironic for Fleming to yearn for a wound while most of the soldiers were avoiding to be wounded. The title of the book therefore is ironic (Crane, 1917). Actually this book is worth to be rated one of the best books by any reader. Every part of the book is detailed and unto the point. The characters are brought out clearly. The message is well distributed through out the chapters. Ones you start reading you wouldn’t wish to put the book down till you reach the last page. All the credit goes to the author who despite his young age while writing this book, showed his capability. Reference Crane, Stephen. 1917. The Red Badge of Courage. New York: D. Appleton and Company. Read More