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The Red Badge of Courage is a historical Civil War novel by Stephen Crane. The story focuses on the individual psychology of one young soldier, Private Henry Fleming, during his first experiences of battle. Although never taking part in battle himself, Crane was able to portray the feelings and scenes of actual combat through his accurate descriptions of the War Between the States. Stephen Crane was born in Newark, New Jersey as the fourteenth child of a Methodist minister. He began writing at the age of eight, and some of his books include the novel “Maggie: a girl of the streets” and many short stories such as “the Open Boat” and “The Blue Hotel”. His types of stories varied from novels to short stories and poems, but all of his books portrayed his style of realism. Crane wrote The Red Badge of Courage in 1895, it was his second book. He died of tuberculosis in 1900 at the age of 28; his career had lasted only eight years. The story begins with members of a newly recruited regiment debating a fresh rumor that the army is to move on the next day. It then follows ‘the youth’, as the author calls Henry throughout the book. On hearing the rumors, Henry fears that he will run when faced with battle. When the regiment does move out and gets to battle, Henry fights well at first, but when the opposing army makes a second charge some soldiers around him start to run so Henry does the same. He came to a forest. While in the forest there are many thoughts and emotions going through the youth’s head. At first he feels he did a good part saving himself, therefore saving a part of the army, the youth has many changes in feeling from being wronged to ashamed. Eventually the private makes his way back to the army, where he finds them sullen and wounded, but he wishes himself a wound or a “red badge of courage”.
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