Red Badge of Courage-Maturing

A detailed Summary of Red Badge of Courage-Maturing

Every person goes through a natural change in his or her lifetime. This change is the maturation process from childhood to adulthood. This process for some is easier than others. Steven Crane creates a portrayal of the maturation process through his character Henry Fleming in The Red Badge of Courage. For young Henry, the maturation process is a long and hard struggle that takes place through three skirmishes at the battle of Chancellorsville during the American Civil War.

In the beginning of the story, it can be easily seen how Henry is still a young immature child. His motives for wanting to sign up for the war effort were shallow and selfish. He did not join the war effort to defend his country but rather to bring glory to himself. To put it rather simply, the youth wanted to be a Hero. Also to add to that, Henry had no real clue of what war was about.

"He had, of course, dreamed of battles all his life - of vague and bloody conflicts that had thrilled him with their sweep and fire. In visions he had seen himself in many struggles. He had imagined peoples secure in the shadow of his eagle-eyed prowess. But awake he had regarded battles as crimson blotches on the pages of the past. He had put them as things of the

"These incidents made the youth ponder. It was revealed to him that he had been a barbarian, a beast. He had fought like a pagan who defends his religion. Regarding it, he saw that it was fine, wild, and, in some ways, easy. He had been a tremendous figure, no doubt. By this struggle he had overcome obstacles which he had admitted to be mountains. They had fallen like paper peaks, and he was now what he called a hero. And he had not been aware of the process. He had slept, and, awakening, found himself a knight"(97)

"With this conviction came a store of assurance. He felt a quiet manhood, nonassertive but sturdy and strong of blood. He knew that he would no more quail before his guides wherever they should point. He had been to touch the great death, and found that, after all, it was but the great death. He was a man"(134).

Next, Henry finally comes to terms with the real object of war, death. This happens twice in events very close to one another. In one event he discovers a decaying soldier, whose face is covered with ants. In another occasion, he witnesses the death of his childhood friend and comrade, Jim Conklin. Later, Henry encounters some Union troupes that appear to be retreating from battle. When he goes to find out what's going on, he scares a soldier by grabbing his arm. Ironically, Henry finally receives his own "red badge of courage" from the comrade. This happens when the frightened soldier responds to the grab by hitting Henry on the head with the butt of his rifle.

bygone with his thought-images of heavy crowns and high castles. There was a portion of the world's history which he had regarded as the time of wars, but it, he thought, had been

long gone ov

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Approximate Word count = 1154
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels