Henry's Experience example essay topic

Henry Fleming was a young man when he joined the Union Army with dreams of the heroic deeds that he would perform. Against his mother's wishes, Henry enlists in the 304th Regiment of New York Volunteers. He lived in the North during the Civil War and through his experiences he learned a great deal. Henry wasn't too smart.

But he learned quickly, which was a good asset to have in war torn times. He was a boy when the novel began and a man at its end. This transition is the story of private Henry Fleming's life. Henry spent boring months in training and inaction and looked forward to taking part in a real Civil War battle. During this time, Henry thought about how he will act when confronted by the enemy fire for the first time.

He wonders if he will stand and fight or run from his fears. Henry finally got a taste of war in several skirmishes. However, more importantly was the battle that was going on in Henrys mind. Henry thought that he faced inevitable death, so he threw down his rifle and ran away along with others. At first he attempted to rationalize his dilemma, but failed and became increasingly agitated because of his failure. While wandering in the rear of the fighting, he encountered a dead soldier.

With this event and having seen the death struggle of man, he experienced the shocking reality of how horrible war really is. Jim Conklin was the man dying, and a close friend of Henry's, which made it all the more difficult for him to watch. Thus, he deserted Jimmy Rogers because he didn't want to see another comrade die. At this point in the story, Henry began to understand that the type of romantic warfare that he had once envisioned did not exist.

Henry began to long for a wound of his own as proof of his courage to make up for his cowardice. What he wanted was a red, bloody badge of courage. He was ironically given a wound when he made a nuisance of himself and was struck on the head by a rifle in the hands of a panic-stricken deserter. Henry saw himself in the man running from his fears and attempted to do what he thought he should have done, which resulted in him trying to force the man back into battle.

Henry is stunned, but he is soon discovered by a cheery soldier who helps Henry out. The soldier helped Henry return to his regiment, which Henry thought that he had lost. Henry thought that he had done his acts of stupidity and cowardice in the dark so he is still a man. Thus, when Wilson gave Henry aid with his wound, Henry lied to Wilson saying that he got shot in the head during battle. Everything made Henry fearful, which even included the landscape. He was paranoid for his life and he couldn't get that out of his mind.

The next day Henry returned to the front lines to engage in some heavier fighting. During this battle, he and Wilson distinguished themselves by showing their valor. Henry retrieved his army's flag, which stood for pride and a sense of unity, from the dying Union flag-bearer. He ran with the flag aimed at the enemy while urging his comrades on. The attack was victorious and officers and enlisted men proclaimed Henry a hero. Through Henry's experience he learned how to confront cowardice and gained a new, realistic sense of duty and responsibility..