The Red Badge of Courage is a novel that entails the journey of a man in the civil war. This man, Henry Fleming, dreams of enlisting in the Union Army where he hopes to be able to commit heroic deeds and become a man. He dreams of romantic settings and can't wait to jump into the blaze. Soon after his regiment assembles on the field he finds war to be all but what he had imagined. Throughout the course of a few days, Henry is involved in two full-fledged attacks against the confederate army. Henry's previously ignorant character becomes enlightened as to the truth about life. He wishes to become courageous and to travel through the majestic battlefields he dreamt of. Although Henry is sidetracked by this is the beginning, he is faced with dismay at his lack or courage. The main point of this novel is to show the true meaning of courage. Henry learned throughout the novel that courage is pushing aside your fears, and doing what has to be done.
Henry aspires to engage in "marches, sieges, conflicts, he had longed to see it all". His fellow soldiers talked early of people running away from the "blaze" during battle. Henry measured himself against his comrades, and inquired to know if they had thought of "running". He asked one of his comrades, " Did you ever think of running", the comrade answered, "I thought it might get too hot why, I s"pose I"d start and run. And if once I started to run, I"d run like the devil, and no mistake". Henry had fears that he wouldn't be able to live up to what he had dreamed. That he would run away and be cowardly.
Henry enlists in the Army so can be courageous. He doubts if he has courage and if his comrades do either. Upon the first battle, he becomes terrified at the sight and runs from the blaze. He runs away into the bushes and leaves his comrades to fight their own battle. He comes upon many dead soldiers, one of which he finds in a tree with ants crawling all over the soldiers body.