The Red Badge of Courage

In "The Red Badge of Courage", Henry, a youth soldier in the Civil War, is the main character (Crane). In the beginning of the story Henry is cocky and confident about himself. He wants to be known as a great war hero and wants to fight well so that he will be widely known and glorified. But throughout the book the reader sees a change in Henry. In one battle, Henry chickens out and retreats to save himself. He is ashamed of his cowardly act and next time goes into battle stronger than ever with much bravery. It is then that Henry becomes one of the best fighters on the battle field in his regiment. By the end of the story Henry is not confident about himself, but rather confident in himself. Henry goes into the war a boy, and comes out of the war a man. His character grows immensely during the war (Crane). I believe that Henry from "The Red Badge of Courage" can be compared in some ways to Henry David Thoreau. "Civil Disobedience" is written by Thoreau. In "Civil Disobedience", Thoreau is very confident at first. He makes many claims that he does not back up. He argues topics and raises points, but then does not follow through with his actions (Thoreau). This is somewhat like Henry, who is all talk and no walk (Crane). In "Civil Disobedience" Thoreau is put in jail because he did not pay his poll tax (Thoreau). This act is very immature, just like Henry's action of retreating on the battlefield is immature (Crane). Thoreau eventually goes away by himself and spends his time in the woods pondering (Thoreau). This is when Thoreau grows up a bit, when he takes time to analyze and ponder, rather than react. This is just the same in "The Red Badge of Courage" (Crane). Henry grows up when he thinks about everything that is happening and realizes how he needs to act, despite his emotions. It is when he eventually sees the bigger picture and sees how small of a piece he is in it that he truly becomes a man (Crane).

"The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane." The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. Web. 27 Feb. 2012. .

"Thoreau's Civil Disobedience - with Annotated Text." The Thoreau Reader. Web. 26 Jan. 2012.

"Salem Press." Object Moved. Web. 27 Feb. 2012. .

Wayne, Tiffany K., ed. "Emerson, Ralph Waldo." Critical Companion to Ralph Waldo Emerson: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2010.Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCRWE0001&SingleRecord=True (accessed March 9, 2012).