The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane was a novel was narrated by Henry Fleming in a third persons point of view. The setting of the story is during the Civil War. When there is rumor that a union army will soon march a new recruit, Henry Fleming, worries how he will react. The reason he joined the military was because he wanted the glory. During a battle Henry Fleming ran away ashamed trying to convince himself he did the right thing. Henry later joins a group of wounded soldiers including the tattered soldier. He realizes a wound is like a red badge of courage. In the group he recognized a man, Jim Conklin, who soon died. When the Tattered man kept asking about Henry Fleming's wounds he became uncomfortable and left the man to die. Henry wandered to a battle field where he was hit in the head by a rifle. He went to a regiment camp where his friend Wilson took care of him because he though he had been shot. The next battle Henry fought thinking of Jim Conklin. His lieutenant says that with ten thousand Henrys, he could win the war in a week. Henry took the flag and carried it proudly before the regiment. The group was sent to do more fighting and was victorious. They took four prisoners and Wilson took the enemy flag. Henry reflects on his experiences and though he was proud of his success but he was very ashamed about his previous behavior and about leaving the tattered man. (257 words).
