The Red Badge of Courage

The Red Badge of Courage tells the story of Henry, often referred to as the "Youth," and his transformation over the course of a few days. Considering that Stephen Crane never fought in a war, his reflections on the the way battles can change a person are truly insightful, and at times even breath-taking. Crane also had a talent for describing the world around Henry, which allows the reader to feel as if they are in the novel. The book is quite short, but Crane does a great job developing Henry's character. As Henry goes from scared, to terrified, to arrogant, and eventually humble, readers will find themselves actively liking and disliking him throughout his transformations. Crane uses some literary devices that are particularly enjoyable, and which make the novel poetic at times. First, almost all of the characters have both a name and a character description. For example, Henry is "the Youth," he has a friend "the loud youngster" and so on for all the main characters. This reinforces the idea that this is not just a book about a particular person or group of people, but about people in general. The second device is the way Crane uses common themes. So, the word red is used as an adjective of the novel, just as it is in the title. Or, another example, Henry is walking through the woods that remind him of a chapel: from that moment there is a chorus, steeple, etc., used as adjectives and metaphors for the next few pages. Crane's writing is truly poetic--even superb. The themes are deep. The descriptions of battles are uncanny, as the book draws you in so deeply, you almost feel like you are fighting (or running) along side of Henry.