Battle Henry example essay topic

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephan Crane traces the effects of war on a Union Soldier, Henry Fleming, from his dreams of soldiering, to his actual enlistment, and through several battles of the Civil War. Henry Fleming was not happy with his boring life on the farm. He wanted to become a hero in war and be praised and honored for his glorious achievements in battle. He knew his mother would not like to see him go to war, but it was his decision to make. He dreamed of the exciting battles of war and the thrill of marching. He didn't want to stay on the farm living his benign life making rounds and completing chores.

He made the final decision to enlist. Once enlisted though, Henry learns the truths of war: its dreary, tiring, gruesome, and well, boring. He finds he spends most of his days with simply nothing to do. He manages to make friends with two other soldiers, John Wilson and Jim Conklin. John Wilson is a soldier who protrudes a boastful, and pragmatic attitude, though he quickly falls to become a soldier of compassion after realizing his own mortality in battle. Wilson was as excited about going to war as Henry, while Jim, the "Tall Soldier", was confident about the success of the new regiment.

Jim, portrays the tall, confident, veteran soldier, experienced and shows no fear. The death of Jim leads to the downfall of Wilson, having seen that such a wise soldier can be killed, then certainly the same fate awaited each and every other. After a few days in the regiment, Henry started to realize, that their regiment was just wandering aimlessly, going in circles, like a vast blue demonstration. They kept marching on without purpose, direction, and without fighting. Through time Henry started to think about the battles in a different way, a more close and experienced way, he started to become afraid that he might run from battle when duty calls. He felt like a servant doing whatever his superiors told him.

When the regiment finally discovers a battle taking place, Jim gives Henry a little packet in a yellow envelope, telling Henry that this will be his first and last battle. The regiment managed to hold off the rebels for the first charge, but then the rebels came back like machines of steel with reinforcements, driving the regiment back. One man started to flee, then another, and another still. Henry was scared, confused, and in a trance as he saw his forces depleting.

He finally got up and started running like a proverbial chicken, who has lost the direction of safety. After running away, Henry started rationalizing his behavior in running from the enemy. At first he feels he was a stupid coward for running, then he feels he was just saving himself for later. He felt nature didn't want him to die, even though his side is losing. He believes he was intelligent for running and yet hopes he will die in battle just for spite.

In returning to the fields, he met the tattered soldier, wounded and retreating. In the next charge, Henry and the tattered soldier see Jim, also wounded, die a slow and painful death. After Jim's death, the tattered soldier questions Henry on his wounds and Henry, reaping his actions from selfish fear, leaves the tattered man alone on the battlefield, dying, and dangerous to himself. Returning to the battle Henry stumbles on a retreating regiment and begs the soldiers to explain why they are running.

He grabbed a comrade by the arm, begging, not letting go, so the man hit Henry over the head with the butt of his rifle, giving Henry his first Red Badge of Courage. Dazed, Henry stumbles around the battlefield struggling to stay on his feet, until a cheery man comes around and helps Henry to get back to his regiment. At his regiment he confronts Wilson who cleans up the wounds on his head. Wilson then asks Henry to return to him the packet of letters that he had given him. Wilson had given Henry a packet of letters to his family assuming he would die in the fight. When Henry realizes this, he comes to see that he was not the only one who was scared, who shuttered at losing his life in battle.

Now, Henry has gained a sense of power, a weapon to use, a sense of anger and confidence and a will to fight. After a short rest he again gets back into battle, now marching next to his lieutenant, carrying their flag. After the regiment lost the battle, the generals had the regiment marching again. Henry felt the generals were a lot of 'lunkheads' for making them retreat instead of confronting the enemy.

Henry begins to feel that, he and Wilson are going to die, but goes to battle anyway. In battle, Henry began to fume with rage and exhaustion. He had a wild hate for the relentless foe. He was not going to be badgered of his life.

He felt that he and his companions were being taunted and derided from sincere convictions that they were poor and puny. In yet another battle, when Henry and Wilson get a chance to carry their flag, they fight over who will retain the flag. Wilson got the regiment flag, though later in battle Henry manages to obtain the rebel flag. And from there, runs to the front of the line with the Lieutenant, leading the way. In battle he fought like a 'Major General', though he did regret leaving the tattered man alone on the battlefield, he has grown-up, and is not afraid of dying anymore. Henry has gained a lifetime of maturity in a matter of days, though it seemed like a lifetime to he and his fellow comrades.

He went to war a fearful, lost, doubtful, innocent youth, and marches home a confident, courageous, man. Being a fictional character in a fictional book, it's not proper to compare this to any real life episodes in the lives of Civil War soldiers. But from a personal point of view, I think that this is exactly right, not only during the time of the Civil War but even now. Men facing the challenge to enlist, to leave their lives, their comfort, their families and go off to a battle of life and death happens almost every day in every country. Some men are like Henry, lost, almost bored looking for something more that will give meaning to their life. Some are like Wilson, ready to fight for their country, overcome with political pride.

Yet again, some are like Jim, older, wiser, and maybe following paternal footsteps. No matter what the situation, no matter what the era or century, no matter who the soldier, you gain an experience not unlike that of Henry. This book may not contain the surrender of Robert E. Lee, and may not have been written in the 1860's, but it doesn't take dates and legalities to portray the emotion and truth of the Civil War. Stephen Crane did just that and whether or not you are heading off to battle, I recommend this book to teach you how to look inside to your own immortality and your own fears and strengths- they " really there, they just need to be realized.