A Literary Analysis of henry Flemming from the Red Badge of Courage

War is a terrible thing, regardless of the cause people die. In every war there are young
soldiers who fight without knowing why and are merely concerned with their survival. In Stephen
Crane’s novel The Red Badge of Courage, the main character is a young soldier named Henry
Fleming who is full of mixed feelings. Although the novel spans nomore than a few weeks, Henry
undergoes a considerable amount of psychological development: from his cliched views of war, to
his selfish acts throughout battle, and his final passage into maturity.
In the beginning of the novel, Henry has a very simple and romantic view that war is the
crucible that all heroes must go through. As he moves from one station to the next, Henry thought
he “must be a hero” since he is “basking in the smiles of...girls and was patted and complimented
by the old men...”(6). In order to feel secure with himself as a man, Henry occupies his thoughts
with the praise of women and being the envy of men. ...