What Does Henry Fleming Symbolize In The Red Badge Of Courage

War changes people in many ways, especially the lives of the soldiers in the army. The changes that the soldiers go through are told in many novels, such as The Red Badge of Courage. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane is a coming-of-age novel because Henry Fleming changes from an immature adolescent to a mature man by the end of the novel.

The Red Badge of Courage is about finding the strength within oneself to keep one’s courage and bravery. Henry Fleming recently joined the 304th regiment during the Civil War because he was drawn to the glory of military conflict, but doubts his courage to fight and risk his life when a tall soldier named Jim Conklin spreads a rumor that the army will march soon. As the regiment marches for days and the soldiers become weary, they finally come across the enemies (Confederates) and attack. Although Henry wants to be brave, he internally fights his fear of war and death, and he runs off which becomes the main conflict. When he returns to fight, he discovered that the Union army defeats the Confederates. This gained him confidence, but as the

Henry was full with self-delight thinking he had survived the evil of war, and proved himself bold. Without the soldiers recognising, the barracks had transformed itself into a comfort zone for the victorious where soldiers congratulated one another without the loss of their pride, and momentary valour. However, war is not so forgiving and ephemeral. Soon enough the camp was echoing under the warning of another attack. Just like a breeze, the ecstasy of self-approval had passed and turned into that “must-survive” gear the soldiers knew all too well.

“The Youth,” which Henry is referred to as, dreamt of glory in battle and being a hero (Crane 2). That is the reason why Henry enlisted himself; even though he told his comrades he was forced to be in the army. His mother’s farewell speech is ironic because he thought that she would give him a tearful and long speech, but all she really said was to “Watch out, and be a good boy” (4). She does not want Henry to be a hero even though that is what he went to war for. She told Henry that she will be fine if he does not return home. Henry tries to pull off being a confident and good soldier, while in the reality he is very nervous about what will happen in battle. Throughout the novel, he questions his courage and if he would run from battle. At an early battle, Henry continuously fires at the enemy line and feels like he is a courageous soldier. However, soon after this battle, another one erupts and Henry runs from it. This is

The young soldier, Henry in the ‘Red Badge of Courage’ experiences many emotional conflicts and challenges as he participates and confronts the enemy in his first true battle while running scared and turning his back in the second. I would argue Henry’s reactions mirrored the physiological response of ‘fight or flight’ where the fight described his encounters in his first battle while flight described his reactions in the second battle. ( www.wikipedia.org ). The ‘fight’ mirrors some of the themes as described in my readings, such as ‘courage,’ ‘youth,’ ‘friendship,’ the opinions of others and ‘flight’ mirrors other themes such as ‘Self Preservation,’ ‘Brutality of War’ and ‘Maturity.’ (TRBOC, Theme. Lesson 2, Pgs. 2-5). What’s interesting to note is Henry’s conscience is likely the single biggest factor in his marked personality change from one extreme to the other. I will now elaborate on my fight or flight argument.

In the beginning of the book Henry reflects his decision to enlist in the war because he thinks it’s going to be perfect and glorious, but as he gets involved in the war his perspective changes. When he gets to war he is confident and fears nothing, however, his feelings change when he hears Jim Conklin, the tall soldier, say that the war was imminent. Throughout the novel Henry questions himself. He questions if he is courageous,

grows up during the war. Henry faces his fears and fights in the battle. After Henry faces his fears of the

Henry symbolizes naïvety because he is unaware of the irony and uncontrollable forces in his current predicament. In chapter one, Henry reflects on his decision to enlist for

     Stephen Crane's purpose in writing The Red Badge of Courage was to dictate the pressures faced by the prototypical American soldier in the Civil War.  His intent was accomplished by making known the horrors and atrocities seen by Unionist Henry Fleming during the Battle of Chancellorsville, and the conflicts within himself.

In, “The Red Badge of Courage,” there are many conflicts regarding Henry. The one in the first part of the book is internal. Henry is wondering if he will flee in the heat of the battle. “A little panic-fear grew in his mind. As his imagination went forward to a fight, he saw hideous possibilities. He contemplated the lurking menaces of the future, and failed in an effort to see himself standing stoutly in the midst of them. He recalled his visions of broken-bladed glory, but in the shadow of the impending tumult he suspected them to be impossible pictures. (Crane 8). He wonders if he is actually a coward, and he can never have glory. He continually frets about the problem until he comes upon

“The Red Badge of Courage” is a story of a teenager named Henry Fleming, who hopes of fulfilling his dreams of glory. He enlists in the Union army, with lots of fear and doubts. However, he finally engages in is first battle, but never sees his enemy. Then, when the enemy attacks, his fears of death overwhelm him and he runs from the field. He rests until he hears the sound of a renewed battle and returns to the battle from

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane contains messages on war that can be applied to daily life. Things such as loss, achieving goals and fear are all things that the reader can connect to as the protagonist, Henry Flemming, leads us through them all. The main themes that run through Crane’s piece are heroism, guilt, adaptation, acceptance, and the insignificance of human emotions on the world around them. From the very beginning of The Red Badge of Courage the idea of Heroism is brought to the attention of the reader. The youth, Henry, joined the army with a dream of battle and becoming a hero.

While Henry contemplates, the narrator illustrates Henry’s struggle as Henry tries, “to mathematically prove to himself that he would not run from a battle […] [, however,] [i]t had suddenly appeared to him that perhaps in a battle he might run,” (4) showcasing how when compared to his previously held notions about war, the irony of Henry’s newfound cowardice and lack of bravery is clear. Similarly, Henry is naïve to his true part in the war and the uncontrollable forces controlling his life. Through the use of naturalism, the pessimistic version of realism that asserts that most individuals are without freedom—that they are at the mercy of larger forces, like economics, war, the government, heredity, environment, and nature, Crane shows the reader how small and insignificant Henry is in the grand scheme of things. As Dr. Ball states, “you join the military and lose your freedom, it seems,” exemplifying Henry’s current predicament (Ball). Henry, although having hopes of becoming a hero, is as his mother says, “jest one little feller amongst a hull lot of others,” (3) revealing the reality and irony of his current situation, he is not a hero able to achieve glory in battle. As the narrator points out Henry, “had grown to regard himself merely as a part of a vast blue demonstration,” (4) demonstrating how his situation changes Henry’s ability to gain glory and fame in battle. However, soon after the first attack of the

He has conquered fear; he has overcome worries about what might happen to himself. Some people say that Henry acts impulsively and is easily manipulated and that he flees from the battle at the sight of others running. But this was Henry’s first battle and he never knew what it was like to be in war. Although Henry made a big mistake during the beginning of the war, he later healed his mistakes tøwards the end-he fought very Patriotically and strong during the end of the battle. According to the text, it states, “Henry races across the field, his head ducked like a football player’s. The other men are encouraged by his example and follow after.” His reason for being was to follow his orders, to fight as well as he could to protect those who were less experienced in battle, to lead them through the danger and on to peace on the other side. In scene 11 the play states, “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

     Henry’s hopes and confidence are suddenly crushed when the enemy reappears and Henry finds himself running from his post with the others and his worst fears are realized in this testimonial. Henry is still in the stages of development and although he overcomes his first testimonial, he still is a “fresh fish” in many ways. Henry suffers from shame when he realizes that his comrades have all held in line. Henry tries to justify with himself that he did the natural thing: run. This was what the squirrel did when he threw a pine at it and it was only natural to run to steer away from danger. Later, Henry encounters the tattered soldier and several men who display their “red badge of courage.” Henry wishes he had a wound displaying courage. The only wound Henry possesses is in his soul since he has such low self-esteem. It is the death of Jim Conklin, the epitome of courage, that makes Henry begin to realize the realities of war as he is beginning to encounter more with death. “The red sun was pasted in the sky like a wafer (Crane, 71).” The sun seems to be a symbol of Jim’s wound and of courage (Solomon).  The death of Jim Conklin represented Henry’s childhood and the tattered soldier represents Henry’s idealized self, which is dying. Henry is deserting the image he had of himself before he joined