Unfortunately, for Henry this manhood comes at a steep price. The process he undergoes forces him to acknowledge his own cowardice and selfishness. It also makes him take a long, painful look at his own reserves of bravery and loyalty.
Through the course of the novel and the course of several battles , Henry discovers that he can transcend his own fears; he can be brave even in the face of his own very possible death.
As the text says, "There was the delirium that encounters despair and death, and is heedless and blind to the odds. It is a temporary but sublime absence of selfishness" Henry learns that all men face and feel the same emotions, and that the world does not care one iota what happens to Henry Fleming. This last revelation is both horrifying and freeing in equal measure. It is obvious that the obtainment of and displaying of courage are the primary themes of the novel.
At first, Henry has some very romantic notions about courage and war. He assumes that he will come home a hero, or not come home at all. His death at this point is a mere abstraction to him. He has no concept of what is actually involved in fighting. He has never even seen a dead body. Suddenly, it appears that courage is something that other men have, but a thing that he clearly does not possess.
Courage, and the lack of it, is now his main obstacle and obsession. Tools of Characterization. Tools of Characterization Character Analysis Names Crane very deliberately uses categorical descriptions to label or name his characters. Speech and Dialogue Everyone in the novel speaks with the same small-town, uneducated, early s dialect.
Logging out…. Logging out You've been inactive for a while, logging you out in a few seconds Henry becomes angry with the idea that the enemy never seems to tire. In Henry's mind, "Those other men seemed never to grow weary; they were fighting with their old speed. He had a wild hate for the relentless foe. In allowing Henry to reflect on what happens in this small battle, Crane further reveals Henry's evolving character.
For example, Crane states that "These incidents made the youth ponder. It was revealed to him that he was a barbarian, a beast. They had fallen like paper peaks, and he was now what he called a hero.
He remembered hiding once in an empty flour barrel that sat in his mother's pantry. His playmates, hunting the bandit-chief, had thundered on the barrel with their fierce sticks but he had lain snug and undetected. They had searched the house. He now created in thought a secure spot where an all-powerful eye would fail to perceive him; where an all-powerful stick would fail to bruise his life.
He saw himself living in watchfulness, frustrating the plans of the unchangeable, making of fate a fool. He had ways, he thought, of working out his. The book is experimental, it does not offer definitive explanations and there are passages that we could debate the significance of forever - what they mean, what the author meant, why he wrote them, what he was referencing.
But the great thing about this book is that it was written by a poet, a man who died at only 28, in Germany of tuberculosis, after a lifetime of poor health. Because he was a poet, Crane writes in this book with a poets love of language and with a flair for impressionism and for not explaining too much.
So, anyone can read this book and come away with different meaning, different sigils, different written talismans, different clues. Knowing my lost love Cam as well as I did, I can see these words resonating within him and giving him the rationalization for taking his life as he stood alone in that garage with the rope in his hands.
This is a lovely, strange, sad and experimental written work. Highly recommended. Jul 03, Tara Ferrin rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: yes. I actually finally finished the book last night. I say finally not because I didn't enjoy it, because I did, but it definitely was a tougher read than I'm used. The language is older more descriptive, and at times hard to figure out, but in the end I think it made me appreciate it more. I'm not going to pretend that I understood even half of what the author was trying to say, but It did affect me, and spoke to me personally at times.
In my opinion he's a brilliant writer. It's a story of a very I actually finally finished the book last night. It's a story of a very young and inexperienced soldier in the civil war named Henry. It tells of his inward struggles finding courage and making sense of this terrible thing called war. It is disturbing at times to read some of the horrors he describes, not because it's graphic, but just emotionally heart wrenching.
I love this paragraph: "As he gazed around him, the youth Henry felt a flash of astonishment at the blue pure sky and the sun-gleamings on the trees and fields. It was surprising that nature had gone tranquilly on with her golden processes in the midst of so much devilment. Here he is in this captivatingly beautiful place, listening to the stream running by and the birds singing, how can life go so peaceably on for nature, when something so horrible and ugly as war is raging at the same time.
It was sad to read how insignificant he felt at times, his lieutenant called his regiment a bunch of slow "mule-drivers" and sent them off to charge the enemy stating that few would make their way back. How would that feel? Like being sent off as one of the unimportant masses to be slaughtered for the greater good. I can't imagine. I hope our soldiers understand how important they are not just collectively. They are each heros to me, for just being there. I loved this novel.
It wasn't an easy read for me, but it was worth it. The version first published and the one most people are familiar with is supposedly different. Hope you enjoy! Can't believe the author of this short novel never saw battle in his life, like it's explained in the introduction, because his understanding of the psychology of a combatant is so remarkable that I'd have sworn he was a Civil War veteran drawing from his own experiences.
Goes to show what good research and an eye for observing human nature in conflict can do, methinks. Not being American, I had to look up on the web what battle the book was describing after I finished reading, and having learnt Can't believe the author of this short novel never saw battle in his life, like it's explained in the introduction, because his understanding of the psychology of a combatant is so remarkable that I'd have sworn he was a Civil War veteran drawing from his own experiences.
Not being American, I had to look up on the web what battle the book was describing after I finished reading, and having learnt it's based on the Battle of Chancellorsville, it now makes sense why the action was all such a prolonged clash and so chaotic in the novel. It also helped to explain the fact that Henry himself is all over the place. Now, looking at photos like this one of the th Pennsylvania Regiment in that battle, it's easy to imagine those infantrymen could be Henry's "fresh fish" comrades, that the mounted officer is the one who derisively called them "mule drivers," and that the one standing by the side is the baby-faced Lieutenant of the company.
Jul 26, Swjohnson rated it really liked it. There is surprisingly little 19th century American fiction that describes the Civil War combat experience. Both are remarkable for their combination of stylized lyricism and brutal, near-cynical unsentimentality. Bierce was a seasoned war veteran but Crane was only 24 when his n There is surprisingly little 19th century American fiction that describes the Civil War combat experience.
Bierce was a seasoned war veteran but Crane was only 24 when his novel was published to commercial and critical success in Ironically, Bierce was one of its few detractors. What follows borders on prose poetry. Crane's narrative takes a densely rhetorical and descriptive turn, capturing a profound introspection as the novel transforms into an evocative, unbroken battle sequence in a nameless landscape.
The turmoil of battle ebbs and flows, with victory or defeat virtually unknowable in the bedlam of combat; when violence periodically subsides, there is little empirical agreement on what has occurred or whether the regiment has achieved success. Crane wisely keeps this dense, unremitting novel short.
This is a controlled, mature performance from a writer who tragically died only four years after its publication. I read this book for Banned Books Week. Why it would be banned for violence It is a war novel.
The first half of the book is rather disappointing as we learn about Henry Fleming's philosophical 'insights' on war and his fellow soldiers. His arrogance is laughable, especially his assertion that he ran aw I read this book for Banned Books Week.
His arrogance is laughable, especially his assertion that he ran away for the 'right' reason while his fellow solidiers stayed and fought for the wrong reasons. After some escapades, which inadvertently give him 'a red badge of courage', Henry returns to his regiment, the th.
This is when the book begins to improve, in my opinion. Henry becomes a hero, at least in his eyes, as he carries the flag, and fights with his regiment. Philosophy has taken a backseat to reality. Crane was a master of beautiful descriptions. The words might be picturesque, but it is hard to believe that fighting for your life gave you the time and motivation to consider them in such detail. Maybe when you are an older man, writing your memoirs, you might indulge yourself.
Unfortunately, Stephen Crane did not have that chance after observing the Spanish-American War because he died at the age of May 23, Adrienne rated it really liked it Shelves: classic , dnf. BUT I loved it. The whole story is in the train of thought of a young soldier going off to fight in the civil war.
Starting with dreams of glory and patriotism. Yet fearful and self doubting. That this was written in 'stream of consciousness' was itself masterful: by a writer who had never been to war was hugely staggering and was probably I did a little research here the first book written of this kind.
Aug 30, Jim rated it it was amazing. One of those books that I always intended to read but only got around to it after I picked up a copy of the book at a library sale.
As a kid, I had read the story-as a Classics Illustrated comic book. Anyone remember those? So I knew the basic story, of Henry the soldier showing cowardice under fire and running.. I had read that this book captures the emotions of c One of those books that I always intended to read but only got around to it after I picked up a copy of the book at a library sale.
I had read that this book captures the emotions of combat as few others have done. Veterans of the Civil War thanked the author, Stephen Crane, for describing what they had gone through, something no one else had been able to do. Incredibly enough, Crane was born in , six years after the war had ended. Crane had never seen combat when he wrote the book, published in An amazing feat of imagination to be sure On a personal note, I have to say I have never served in the military, so I can't say anything about the accuracy of what Crane wrote.
Only those who have experienced actual combat can say anything about that. A powerful anti-war short story!! A true classic!!! Courageous writing, powerful and realistic with much insight brought to paper by a master storyteller.. The battle at Chancellorsville, an episode of the American Civil War!!! Stephen Crane breathes in his main character--the youth--emotions, fears and desperation battling and struggling against a lifeless ideology containing in a dry husk rotten and deceiving thoughts..
This he does masterly in a mesmerizing and unforgettable way!! I cannot forget t A powerful anti-war short story!! I cannot forget the scene in which the youth flees from a battle in terror, trying to survive sudden death!! He finds himself at night in a deep forest surrounded by damaged and badly hurt soldiers.. This tattered shades and figures will hunt my dreams and shape my inner view of the American Civil War in a lasting manner!! Feb 13, Alex rated it really liked it Shelves: reading-through-history , , rth-lifetime.
The first half is pretty amazing. Crane deals with the concept of cowardice unflinchingly and with a ton of psychological insight. The way he describes exactly what's going on in his protagonist's head, minute by minute Amazingly, btw, Stephen Crane never saw a minute of combat.
I think it loses a little juice in the second half, which deals with bravery; I didn't feel like our hero's change of heart was explained terribly well. Still a pretty impressive book, though. Mar 23, Wolfman rated it really liked it.
Stephen Crane died at the turn of the century in his late 20's, making him a rock star. I bet all of the college kids in the 's and 20's had posters of him on their walls. Or maybe portraits. But you can totally empathize with his Desire to do Something Grand, his fear, his sense of accomplishment, and generally fickle human nature. Plus, Stephen C Stephen Crane died at the turn of the century in his late 20's, making him a rock star.
Plus, Stephen Crane can totally turn a wicked awesome phrase, like, whenever he wants. You can't teach that. It's a gift.
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