Topic > Understanding the Story Behind The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

The Red Badge of Courage is an account of the Civil War in which Henry Fleming first fights alongside the Union Army, leaving his mother and his farm to enlist. He is eager to fight because he has heard many fantasies and joys about battle; this view will change as he fights. The main plot is the battle between the Union and the Confederates. During the first battle Henry fights in, he fights decently, but during the second battle he gets scared and runs away, fighting his internal conflict; realizing that fighting the war might not be as big as it seemed, while feeling mixed emotions of guilt and reason. As he wanders the forest, he discovers little snippets of information about the war, which he isn't sure who won; he also finds a “man in tatters” and a group of wounded soldiers; among them is his good friend Jim Conklin, who dies of his wound in battle. The climax occurs when Henry captures the Confederate flag; the resolution occurs when Henry and Wilson together lead their regiment to victory. Henry also reflects on his war experience and wonders if he is truly a brave man. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Henry Fleming: Henry Fleming, the protagonist of the novel, abandons his mother and his farm to join the army. He fought alongside the Union army against the Confederates. His character changes as the novel progresses. At the beginning of the novel, he is a very naive young man, but towards the end of the novel, he is a rounded character because he wants to experience battle, but once he is enlisted, he is not so sure that the experience will be a good one. a. He is also a complex character because at the beginning of the novel he is very eager to fight the battle, but towards the end of the novel Henry has transformed into a young man. He is also a dynamic character because he is a changed man, from young and naive to mature and understanding. During the first battle, he and his regiment fight well, but during the second battle he becomes intimidated and flees the battlefield and takes refuge in a forest. As he walks around, he sees many people and gets some information about the battle, which he is not sure who won. He finds a group of wounded soldiers lying on the ground and one of them is his good friend, Jim Conklin. He also comes across a tattered soldier, who Henry finds annoying. His internal conflict is to face his fears by returning to the regiment and fighting the war. We see Henry's inner thoughts: "There was delirium that meets despair and death, and is distracted and blind to probabilities. It is a temporary but sublime absence of selfishness." Towards the end of the novel, he deserves his honor, that is brave and discovers that he has transformed into a man. Wilson: Wilson, also the protagonist of this novel, is called "the noisy soldier". He also changes a lot over the course of the novel. At first he is very loud and talkative; when Henry returns to the regiment, he has transformed into a quiet and thoughtful person, which means he is a well-rounded and dynamic character. He's also very boastful, "...and I didn't say I was the bravest man in the world, either. I said I'd do my share of fighting: that's what I said. And so am I." I. Who are you, anyway? You think you're Napoleon Bonaparte" (26) When Henry returns from wandering, Wilson shows compassion for him and offers his blanket: "Put him to sleep in my blanket." (104) This shows that Wilson is a complex character; he is the soldier he is and the compassionate person who cares about people. It's even more.