In The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane uses the sun to symbolize the growth and enlightenment of Henry Fleming as well as the hope of the soldiers. The sun along with nature was used to show the hopes and fears of Henry and his regiment. .

             Stephen Crane uses the sun to emphasize the fear and triumph that the "youth" and his regiment feel. "In the eastern sky there was a yellow patch like a rug laid for the feet of the coming sun"(pg.25). This represents the fear of the battle that Henry and the other soldiers felt as they could see the enemy coming towards them. The yellow path in front of the sun symbolizes the cowardice that Henry felt as the battle neared. The path of the sun could also represent the enemy coming up the path towards Henry, which is what cause his fear. As the enemy got closer, Henry began to feel more relaxed, but at the same time more afraid of the battle. "When the sunrays vanished at last struck full and mellowingly upon the earth, the youth saw that the landscape was streaked with two long, thin, black columns which disappeared on the brow of a hill in front and rearward vanished in a wood."(pg.26-27) Henry could finally see what he was going to be fighting in this battle and therefore was not afraid of what was to come. He didn"t have to wonder who was coming towards them anymore, but his fear of battle was still there. "The sky overhead was of a fairy blue."(pg. 27) This is foreshadowing the outcome of this first battle. It shows that they would win this battle and everything was going to work out for them. After Henry decides to run, he is very ashamed of himself, but yet he is glad that he ran. "So he went far, seeking dark and intricate places.The Sun suddenly apparent, blazed among the trees."(pg. 59) Henry at this point was trying to hide in dark places to get away from the war and his self because he was ashamed of what he did.