Irony in the Red Badge of Coyrage

Irony in Red Badge of Courage
In The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, irony is often used during Henry’s time fighting in the war. The irony helps to show how war does not always work out the way people, such as Henry, thought it would. It is present during his decision to enter all the way through to the end of the book. It helps to illustrate Henry’s hardships throughout the book as well.
One of the first points of irony in the story occurs when Henry is deciding whether to join the war effort or not and he consults his mother. He travels to a neighboring town to enlist in the war, which he dreamed would bring him glory, and returns to inform his mother. Instead of jubilation and satisfaction, as he contemplated happening, she would rather just have him bring his clothes home when they raggedy and to care for himself. It is ironic that the feelings that he reflected upon, glory and pride, his mother did not even mention and caused Henry to second guess his pron...