The Red Badge Of Courage Analysis

Realties to face Stephen Crane, author of The Red Badge of Courage, was born on November 1st 1871 and died on June 5th 1900. He was born into a progressive family, making him identify with the poor because he had rejected social and religious traditions. Like many writers, Crane was a contradiction because for someone who had big interest in war and violence he was a gentle man. No matter how good of writer Crane was he did not excel academically; however, he did excel in his literary career in journalism. Before The Red Badge of Courage, Crane wrote Maggie, A Girl of the Streets, which highlighted the realities of life for a poor women in the late 1890’s. Crane took a realistic approach like he did in The Red Badge of Courage. From both pieces of work, Crane wrote complex characters because of the situations each had to face, and wrote the characters raw emotions, leaving it up to the
Hafer said in the critical analysis, “Irony in The Red Badge of Courage”, “a badge of shame or absurdity.” The youth’s red badge is received by a fellow solider when the youth grabs him to find out information, which he would not have needed if he chose to stay fight; however, he finally obtained the “red badge of courage” he so desperately wanted, but in an ironic way because no courage is involved since he was not in battle. There is no honor to the badge when received liked that. When the youth returns his regiment by the end of the night he feels no true shame because he not worried that will suspect his desertions because of his injury. He is back to heroic thinking. Micheal Schneider said in his critical analysis, “Mythic Elements of Quest-Romance”, “When he imagines himself as a hero, he runs from the enemy charge; then reclaims his shattered self-esteem only through…his wound.” Henry goes though up’s and downs of confidence in ironic ways as he does the opposite of he thinks and feels heroic when he was