In the Red Badge of Courage Stephen Crane uses naturalism to depict a overwhelming battle of ones inside emotions to contrast coward ness or true bravery. Henry the soldier battles with the south but has the overlapping war with fear. He has seen his best friend die and now is faced with the task of becoming the true hero he longs to be or earn the red badge of courage by fear and not heroics. Crane contrast naturalism with realism to show how Henry will overcome his trepidation and mature into the conqueror he has dreamed of since childhood.
One of the first instances of naturalism is Henry throwing a rock at a squirrel to ponder whether it was right for him to run away from his regiment. Crane uses this to show Henry's instinct of providing his own protection as the squirrel did to protect its own well-being. By colliding nature with basic instincts crane sets us up for the overlying relation between the environmental factors of war that help Henry grow throughout the novel. After running away, Henry started rationalizing his behavior after running from the enemy. At first he fells he was a dense coward for running, then he feels he was just saving himself for later. He felt nature didn't want him to die, even though his side is losing. He believes he was intelligent for running and hopes he will die in battle just for spite. Henry begins to feel that, he and Wilson, are going to die, but goes to battle anyway. In battle, Henry began to fume with rage and exhaustion. Crane again uses a naturalistic essence of "beastly rage". He had a wild hate for the relentless foe. He was not going to be badgered of his life, like a kitten chased by boys. He felt that he and his companions were being taunted and derided from sincere convictions that they were poor and puny. In yet another battle, when Henry and Wilson get a chance to carry their flag, they fight over who will retain the flag. Wilson got the regiment flag, though later in battle Henry manages to obtain the rebel flag.