Stephen Cranes Red Badge of Courage as Bildungsroman Essay

Stephen Cranes Red Badge of Courage as Bildungsroman In the Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, the main character Henry Fleming joins the army as a young fledging and ultimately matures to a courageous soldier ready for battle. The Red Badge of Courage is considered a Bildungsroman since the reader traces Henry’s development morally, psychologically, and intellectually. Henry progresses from a feared youth who in the course of a couple of days, in the line of fire, has crossed the threshold to manhood. Henry Fleming’s growth is demonstrated after the first battle when he becomes mentally stronger and surmounts his fear of being a coward. Henry Fleming is a romantic dreamer, inspired by visions of a chivalric†¦show more content†¦He had not been aware of the process. He had slept and awakening, found himself a knight (Hart).† 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 â€Å"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 â€Å"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 e ncounter more with death. â€Å"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 joinedShow MoreRelatedRed Badge of Courage Essay1271 Words   |  6 PagesTo Be or Not to Be†¦ A Man The Red Badge of Courage written by Stephen Crane is a prime example of bildungsroman, or a coming of age story. Crane begins with a cowardly boy, Henry Fleming, and ends with an experienced war hero who has learned not just what war really is, but who he really is. Mark Twain once said, â€Å"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.† [Epigraph] Although he struggles to learn that being a soldier means more thanRead MoreSymbolic Meaning of the Land in Gone with the Wind6993 Words   |  28 Pages1949 she was killed in a car accident crossing Peachtree Street in Atlanta. Gone with the Wind differs from most Civil War novels by appreciating the South and depreciating the North. Other popular novels about the Civil War, such as Stephen Cranes The Red Badge of Courage, are told from a Northern perspective and tend to exalt the Norths values. Mitchells novel is unique also for its portrayal of a strong-willed, independent woman, Scarlett OHara, who has many same characteristics with Mitchell