The Red Badge of Courage

"The Red Badge of Courage" is about a man who joined the army during the Civil War. He didn't want to really stand up for his country but he really wanted just the pride and honor of being a soldier in such a war as this. When he was actually in the battle it was completely different than he made it out to be. He seemed like a scaredy cat. He ran away from the battle after being shot by one of his own men. Instead of continuing the fight he just got up and ran and started shooting his gun in every which way. He was just shooting at nothing at all. This story I believe represents the naturalism writing style. "Naturalists usually focused on the desperate existence of characters trapped in slums or in other oppressed settings." (Giles) I'd say this is the kind of situation our character was stuck in. It wasn't really a good situation and he didn't really know if what he was doing was right. He might not have even though at all about what he was doing. "Stories are filled with characters living on the margins of society and overwhelmed by forces beyond their control and comprehension." (Giles) I'd say this is a good description of war. War is uncontrollable the whole situation is out of anyone's hands. Though, the main character was fighting the war just to have pride in himself and be honored by others there has to have been something in him that believed in fighting against slavery. I don't think anyone in their right mind would go and risk their lives for something they didn't believe in. This agree with Thoreau and Emerson. They believed in every person being significant and equal and to stand up for what you believe in. That was what the Civil War was all about. It was to make all people equals even if that meant you had to risk your life or other people's lives it was worth it to make a difference in what you believe in.

Crane, Stephen. "The Red Badge of Courage." Glencoe American Literature. comp.
Wilhelm, Jeffery. McGraw Hill. Columbus, OH. 2009. pg. 493.

Giles, James R. "naturalism." In Anderson, George P., Judith S. Baughman, Matthew J. Bruccoli, and Carl Rollyson, eds. Encyclopedia of American Literature, Revised Edition: Into the Modern: 1896–1945, Volume 3. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc