Essay on The Red Badge of Courage - Henry is No Hero

The Red Badge of Courage - Henry is No Hero In The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane explores the theme of courage and heroism in depth. He develops these themes through the main character, Henry Fleming. Henry is a naà ¯ve young man faced with the harsh realities of war, in this book, some argue that Henry is transformed into a heroic quiet manhood while others see Henry as the same young man who ran from battle in the beginning of the book. I think Henry doesnt change, his heroic status acquired at the end of the book isnt truly him, instead he merely is motivated by fear of dying and being rejected by his fellow soldiers. At the beginning of the novel Henry is disappointed of war; he had far†¦show more content†¦Henry hated to be ridiculed so badly that he abandoned the poor man who only showed care and concern for Henry. A hero doesnt abandon a fellow soldier in desperate need of help. Henry tries to reassure his confidence by asking other soldiers how they would respond to battle. Jim Conklin honestly said that it depended on the circumstances, but if everyone was a standing and a fighting, why, Id stand and fight.(Crane Ch.1) When he asked Wilson, Wilson dismissed the notion of running from battle. Henry was trying to look for someone to relate to, but as a result of questioning his fellow soldiers he further isolated his insecurities of battle. Crane defines courage as a temporary but sublime absence of selflessness, I think Henry experienced a temporary but not sublime absence of consciousness. In battle I think he was acting more like a machine than himself. Henry ran like a madman to reach the woods before a bullet could discover him...In his haste his eyes almost closed, and the scene was a wild blur...pulsating saliva stood at the corners of his mouth.(Crane Ch. 20) He was acting out of fear, thus he wasnt truly himself in his actions. The one main reason Henry fled in the beginning is because he feared death. When you act out of fear you become more mechanical in your actions. 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