The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
This novel is written on the American Civil War. It is about Henry Fleming, a young private of the Union Army. Henry flees from the battlefield and is later shameful of his acts he then longs for a “red badge of courage,” which is a wound to cover his cowardice.
The fictional 304th New York Infantry Regiment is awaiting a battle beside a river on a cold day. Teenage Private Henry Fleming remembers his reasons for enlisting in the army and his mother’s frowns against it.
He is not sure whether his fear will overwhelm him and run back from the battle. The assertion of Jim Conklin, one of his friends comforted him. Jim has told him that he would run from the battle if his colleagues also run.
During the first battle of the regiment, Confederate soldiers charged but are overpowered. The opponents in pronto come together and attack again.
This forces some of the Union soldiers to flee. Henry, who feels that the battle is lost deserts his regiment. He continues running until he reaches the rear of the army when he overhears the announcement of the Union’s victory.
Henry then feels inferior to others as he is not part of the victory. He then posited that it is not possible for him to become a hero and that he is a coward. He then went staggering off escaping into a nearby forest where he discovers a decomposing dead body.
He quickly leaves the place and meets a group of injured men coming from the battlefield. One of the men, “a tattered soldier” asks Henry to show him where he is injured but there is no response from Henry.
One of the soldiers named Jim Conklin is suffering from delirium as a result of the shot he received in his side. He lost a lot of blood and eventually dies of the injury. Jim did not allow his friends to come to his aid when he was injured.
Henry leaves the wounded soldiers and then meets a retreating column that has lost control. A man, out of panic wounds Henry on the head when he hits his rifle on his head. Henry is not himself again at this moment as he is hungry, thirsty, and wounded. He decides to pocket his shame and return to his regiment.
When he gets back to his regiment and the others see his wounded head, they believe that he got the wound during the fierce battle with the opponents. They then care for him and dress the wound for him.
The following morning, for the third time, Henry goes into battle. His regiment confronts a small group of Confederates and a battle ensues. During the battle, Henry proves himself to be a capable soldier. He then believes that his cowardice in the previous battle is not noticed, he believes he is still a man.
While Henry tries to look for a stream to fetch water with a friend, he finds out from the commanding officer that his regiment does not have a good performance record. The commander comments that the 304th would be sacrificed as they are nothing but “mule drivers and mud diggers.” He then orders them forward.
Henry acts as the flag-bearer in the final battle after the color sergeant falls. Henry’s regiment is shot recklessly by a line of Confederates hidden behind a fence. The regiment is ill-covered in the tree line.
They are between the devil and the deep red sea; the regiment risk defeat by the opposition if they stay and shame if they retreat. The officers order them to attack. Henry, who is unarmed leads his people while entirely escaping injury. The majority of the members of the Confederates run away before the arrival of the regiment. Only four of them remain and they are captured as prisoners.