The Red Badge of Courage
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The Red Badge of Courage (1895) is a short novel (or a long short story) by Stephen Crane about the meaning of courage, as it is discovered by Henry Fleming, a recruit in the Civil War. It is often considered one of the best American war stories ever written, even though the author was born after the events and never saw battle himself. His purpose in writing the book was to explore fear and courage in the face of the most daunting trial imaginable: battle.
The book was made into a film by John Huston in 1951 (see The Red Badge of Courage (film)) and a made-for-television version starring Richard Thomas appeared in 1974.
List of main characters
- Henry Fleming aka the young soldier
- Jim Conklin aka the tall soldier
- Wilson aka the loud soldier
Fleming survives the war to return home. He is not gravely wounded, but his life is transformed by the experience and especially by his insight into the meaning of true courage as a momentary burst of selflessness.The title itself refers to a wound that the protagonist suffered from one of the soldiers in his own brigade.
External links
- Template:Gutenberg
- The Red Badge of Courage (http://www.amlit.com/redbadge/chap0.html) at American Literature (http://www.amlit.com/)