Written by Rita W.
Nature is often portrayed in the novel, The Red Badge of Courage, as a separate entity, completely distinguished from the affairs of the war. The coexistence of nature and violence on the battlefront emphasizes the pure, innocent demeanor of nature. When the soldiers are marching to their unknown destination, “... the brigade [is] halted in the cathedral light of a forest” (Crane 34). A cathedral is a religious place for worship in Christianity. Nature is an element in this world which is omnipresent; being the only familiar factor in the current situation, contrasted by the uncertainty of the destination of the march, the soldiers may turn to the familiarity of nature for comfort. The metaphorical use of a cathedral emphasizes the atmosphere that nature creates.
When Henry acts impulsively on a glorified sense of the war, his mother, though against his decision, supports him and tells him to stay morally strong. She tells him that “‘... the Lord’ll take keer of us all’” (9). Henry’s mother’s faith in God symbolizes Henry’s fate, which is bound to be good. The Christian belief of the existence of God fuels the religious symbolism.
The “red badge” of courage is the wound that each soldier receives as a result of fighting in the war. This “badge” showcases a soldier’s contribution to the army’s victory, symbolizing honor and respect. Henry observes that “...persons with torn bodies [are] peculiarly happy” (74). The red badge is a symbol of honor, and those who acquired this badge wore it proudly, as it exhibits the role they played in winning the victory. Similarly, the “red” color of the badge is the blood of the soldiers, symbolizing sacrifice. This “red badge” of courage exemplifies the attributes of the ideal soldier, as sacrifice, honor, and respect are all required to possess the quality of courage.
Discuss Henry’s need for a “red badge” of courage.
Henry is unscathed because he fled from the fight; he sees how the other men around him did the honorable thing and fought to the very end. More importantly, they were the reason for the victory. Henry has no “badge” to showcase his contributions to their victory. “He wished that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of courage” (74).
Why are characters given descriptive names, such as “the loud soldier,” “the tall soldier,” “the youth,” “the lieutenant,” or “the colonel”?
Surrounded by the self-doubts of his bravery, Henry realizes that “whatever he had learned of himself was here of no avail” and understands that his experience in the war will be the determining factor of his unknown qualities (13). The uncertainty and discovery in one’s childhood years are aspects of one’s life that Henry knows he will have to reembody in order to uncover his true self. In the early years of one’s life, the names of the people around one are not used when referring to them; these people are given descriptive names, instead. These uses of descriptions reflect Henry’s youthful state of mind, and emphasize how the war exists on a mental level for Henry, as well.
Prior to uncovering the knowledge of his bravery, rather than regard himself as an individual, Henry feels that he is a part of “...a vast blue demonstration” (Crane 11). Crane mentions that the army is one body. These names describe the role each character plays in the army, and eliminate individuality. Each name has an entire life story behind it; however, through these descriptions, the entirety of the plot is focused on the war rather than the affairs of the characters.
The lack of names for each character adds to the generalization to the war, similar to how the cause and year of the war are not specified. The war is always referred to as “the war”, introducing a broader audience reach, considering it’s ambiguity, with few restrictions; the use of name descriptions allows the story to be applicable to different interpretations (6).
So what does Henry learn of courage from the tall soldier, the tattered man, and the kind man? When the tall soldier, also known as Jim Conklin, dies as a result of his battle wounds, he teaches Henry about sacrifice. While Henry fled for his life, Jim stayed behind and unfortunately became a casualty of the war. Jim demonstrates qualities that relate him to Jesus, further establishing the significance and the impact of his sacrifice.
The tattered man teaches henry about honor, as he continually prompts Henry to reveal his acquired wounds, or his “red badge of courage”, forcing Henry to reflect on his selfish, unhonorable actions. The two men, through juxtaposition, contrast each other. While Henry is physically unhurt and the tattered man is mentally sound, Henry is drowning in his own shame and guilt while the tattered man is contently reflecting on the army’s victory. Through this experience, Henry learns a lesson about honor thanks to the tattered man.
Compare and contrast Wilson and Henry.
Wilson is the model soldier. Henry is reserved and values self preservation above all else, while Wilson dedicates himself to the war. Wilson demonstrated kind, compassionate attributes when he takes care of Henry, and Henry is great full. Henry takes the Union flag from a dying soldier, while Wilson takes a confederate flag from the enemy.
The leaders of the battle and the common soldiers seem to be two separate entities, as the common soldiers are always complaining about the leadership of the leaders, claiming that they will lead the soldiers to their certain deaths. As Henry proclaims “they must not all be killed like pigs…”, he expresses his hatred for the “pigs”, or the soldiers, being led to war like pigs would be led to the slaughter house (33).
Henry grew up on a farm. Considering his background, the inclusion of farm animals in for figurative language reflects the lifestyle of his childhood. For example, when He ty questions the validity of the decisions of the war leaders, he proclaims that “They must not all be killed like pigs…” (33). The references to farm animals symbolize the soldiers, because they blindly follow the orders of their leader, even if it means they will be led to the slaughter house.
Rita W. is a 14-year-old writer from the UK. She spends a lot of her writing passions on reviewing novels for her school’s library’s literary journal. Her dream job is to become a librarian or arts teacher!
© 2018 elysianmuse.com