Throughout Red Badge of Courage, we see our protagonist Henry (who is more often than not referred to simply as “the young soldier”) mature due to his experience in the American civil war. At the start of the book, Henry is what can best be described as an angsty teenager. He joins the army not out of patriotism or a sense of responsibility but rather for excitement and admiration from others. His beliefs and opinions constantly change depending on his circumstance. For example, how he feels about himself after he runs from the first battle alternates between a sense of superiority to a sense of guild depending on how he thinks the battle is going. Henry is also incredibly unsure of himself and whether or not he is brave enough to stand and fight when needed. However, as the story continues and Henry experiences the trials and tribulations of war, he grows as a person and truly becomes a man, able to face death and suffering and come out the other side standing. To quote the last page of the book, “With this conviction came a store of assurance. He felt a quiet manhood, nonassertive but of sturdy and strong blood. He knew that he would no more quail before his guides wherever they should point. He had been to touch the great death, and found that, after all, it was but the great death. He was a man”(118). This narrative of manhood through combat stands in contrast to other anti-war messages found in the book.
4 thoughts on “Red Badge of Courage and manhood”
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I totally agree that Henry has a strong sense of superiority early in the book. He is constantly doubting the quality of the leadership in the Union army. Interestingly, for much of the civil war Union generals were no match for Robert E. Lee. It is possible that this is Crane pointing this out.
I agree, I think that The Red Badge of Courage revolves around masculinity. Through the whole book Henry strives to prove his masculinity by showing his courage on a battlefield. Although in the beginning he was a coward and ran from the battle, later in the book he transforms into a successful manly solder.
Henry starts at the beginning of the book romanticizing what he sees as the positives of war (Becoming a man, girls will like him better, gaining courage and praise for his efforts) His sense of superiority that you have commented on stems from this romanticism of what war will do for him. He, quite like the Union and the CSA,did not have nearly a clue how bloody, long and treacherous the American Civil War would be and thought it would relatively be an easy way to advance into adulthood and truly become a man. Death and injury and the horror of war were all abstract ideas to Henry at the beginning of the novel. Ironically, part of what is required of him to become a man is to lose this romanticism.
Masculinity is an obvious theme that is displayed throughout The Red Badge of Courage. Henry is constantly trying to get the respect of other soldiers and gain honor from battle. Even though he lied and was a coward at the beginning of the story, he eventually becomes a strong and compatible soldier.