The Red Badge of Courage (1895) is an impressionistic novel by Stephen Crane about the meaning of courage, as it is discovered by Henry Fleming, a recruit in the American Civil War. It is one of the most influential American war stories ever written, even though the author was born after the war and had never seen battle himself. Crane met and spoke with a number of veterans as a student and he created what is widely regarded as an unusually realistic depiction of the character of a young man in battle. His writing is notable for its detached and critical style, often addressing uncomfortable issues on a deeply psychological level in a way that was ground-breaking in the genre. Though Crane never names the battle in which Fleming participates, it is said in the sequel to The Red Badge of Courage, The Veteran that Henry was fighting in the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. The battle was won by the Confederacy. See link above. 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Stephen Crane Stephen Crane (November 1, 1871 - June 5, 1900) was an American novelist, poet and journalist. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Joseph Hooker Robert E. Lee Stonewall Jackson† Strength 133,868 60,892 Casualties 17,197 (1,606 killed, 9,672 wounded, 5,919 missing)[1] 12,764 (1,665 killed, 9,081 wounded, 2,018 missing)[1] The Battle of...

The book was made into a movie by John Huston in 1951 (see The Red Badge of Courage (film)) starring Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, and again in a made-for-television version starring Richard Thomas that appeared in 1974. John Marcellus Huston (August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director and actor. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... The Red Badge of Courage is a 1951 film by John Huston, based on the Stephen Crane novel of the same name. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A television movie (also known as a TV film, TV movie, TV-movie, feature-length drama, made-for-TV movie, movie of the week (MOTW or MOW), single drama, telemovie, telefilm, or two-hour-long drama) is a film that is produced for and originally distributed by a television network. ... Richard Thomas (born June 13, 1951) is an American actor, best known as John-Boy on the USA TV series, The Waltons. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

List of main characters

• Henry Fleming; (aka) the young soldier
• Jim Conklin; (aka) the tall soldier
• Tom Wilson; (aka) the loud soldier
• the tattered soldier
• the lieutenant

After agonizing about whether he will run or hold in his combat, Fleming in fact survives his second battle by running away and we are led through his emotional journey, as he tries to make sense of the reality of battle and his own role within it, often reaching rather self-serving and egocentric conclusions. Many readers have felt that by mastering his fear and eventually leading a charge, young Henry has become "a man."

The title itself refers to a "battle" wound that Henry at one point yearns for. He tries to stop Union soldiers from running away and then gets whacked on the head. He then lies to Tom Wilson and says he got shot in the head. Crane uses colors like crimson and blue to represent various moods or relationships in the book. They often change with Henry's mood. A river will be a dark blue, then will look just like a sapphire, and the sun will look like a sick yellow, transformed into gold.

External links

• The Red Badge of Courage Site
• Red Badge of Courage: A Study Guide
• Red Badge of Courage, available at Project Gutenberg.
• The Red Badge of Courage, online at Ye Olde Library
• The Red Badge of Courage at American Literature