The Red Badge of CourageThe Red Badge of Courage, by Steven Crane, has been considered one of the greatest war novels of all time. It is a story that realistically depicts the American Civil War through the eyes of Henry Fleming, an ordinary farm boy who decides to become a soldier. Henry is very determined to become a hero and the story tells of Henry's journey from a young coward to becoming a brave man. This journey is the classic journey from innocence to experience. To start, the story begins with a huge debate between the soldiers. A boy had heard that the regiment was leaving to fight a battle the next day. Some soldiers agree with this guy. Others think that their regiment will never enter a real battle. While observing this discussion, Henry, the protagonist, decides that he would rather lie down and think than take part in the heated discussion between the soldiers. Henry, a simple country boy, is quite excited when he hears the rumor that they will soon fight. It had always been a dream of his to fight in the war and become a hero. Now his dream was coming true. Henry begins to think about what life was like before he joined the army and remembers some war stories he heard from old veterans. This flashback is very effective in showing how his previous experiences have influenced his thoughts on the current war. It is very clear that he fears that he will not be able to withstand the pressures of war. He keeps telling himself that if he wants to become a hero and realizes he can't run away. He must endure the battle with the rest of his comrades. As Henry marches, he sees the first dead body he has ever seen. He appears sorry for the man because the dead man had died in very poor conditions. The core of his shoes was worn out. When Henry sees the corpse, he begins to wonder if his generals really know what they are doing. He thinks the generals are leading him straight into a trap and into the middle of the enemy, the rebels. Henry deals with his fear of battle by acting calm and confident. He acts as if he has been in a thousand battles and complains about the way he walks. It shows one of Henry's defense mechanisms and how he can use his arrogance to hide his innocence. The 304 Regiment moves into battle the next day. Henry is getting really scared, but it's also too much... middle of paper... hey, the fighting is going to be very tough and the general is looking for a reserve regiment. The leader believes that there is no way that the 304 Regiment will survive the battle alone and calls the soldiers "mules", thinking that they are slow and rather stupid. When Henry and Tom hear this, they are very upset. They are determined to fight as hard as they can, with all their heart and soul. Henry and Tom prove themselves good in the battle. They steal the Confederate flag and are both brave enough to take the field without weapons. After the regiment retreats, the general recognizes both soldiers as extremely brave and comments that they are fit to become generals themselves. This final action is what finalizes the movement from innocence to experience for Henry and Tom. They went to war as boys and now they go to war as men. Both have earned the red badge of courage, as well as the hero status they have always dreamed of achieving. In conclusion, The Red Badge of Courage is a great novel and I hope you will take the time to read it. But if The Red Badge of Courage isn't for you, Steven Crane has many other great novels