The Red Badge Of Courage How Does War Change

Does War Turn a Boy Into a Man?

Did the war change Henry? Did it make him mature much faster? Do you think it made him grow up quicker? Many events in the book The Red Badge of Courage proves that Henry is no longer the scared boy he was when he first enlisted for the war. I believe that war can turn a boy into a man. Make a boy become an adult. War is something that is tragic but also can be rewarding. You have to make choices out on the battlefield in a matter of seconds. Some of the choices could affect many people and not just yourself. There are plenty of examples in the book that prove war can change a man. Henry has changed for the better because he now thinks of others, he has to make important decisions, and finally; he becomes courageous.

In the beginning of the book, Henry only thought about one thing, himself. Henry makes choices without realizing how they can affect other people. When Henry leaves the battlefield in the beginning of the book, he doesn’t even think about how it affects others. He doesn’t realize that he could get punished for being a coward and leaving the
War can make a man forget about other things going on in life and just focus on the war. He wasn’t brave when he left the battle. He wasn’t brave when he lied about his wounds when asked what happened.When he comes back to war for the first time is when he first become courageous. When he runs around with the flag in his hands is also an act of bravery. In the beginning of the book I asked myself, “Would his mother be proud of him leaving the war?” I knew that she wouldn’t because that makes him a coward. He went to war which was very brave of him but he regretted it once it was time to fight. I know now that his mother would be very proud of him and how far along he has came on his journey of war. She would be very proud to have a brave son that is willing to fight for his army and for his