red badge of courage
The Red Badge of Courage is a 1895 war novel by American author Stephen Crane. [1]
Crane’s next novel, The Red Badge of Courage (1895, restored ed. 1982), brought him wide and deserved fame. [2]
As the novel opens, Henry’s understanding of courage is traditional and romantic. [3]
The novel, in which a young recruit in the American Civil War is faced by the cruelty of war, made Crane an international success. [1]
Newark, N.J. Often designated the first modern American writer, Crane is ranked among the authors who introduced realism into American literature. [2]
She cares little whether Henry earns himself a praiseworthy name; instead, she instructs him to meet his responsibilities honestly and squarely, even if it means sacrificing his own life. [...] At the end of the novel, as the mature Henry marches victoriously from battle, a more subtle and complex understanding of courage emerges: it is not simply a function of other people’s opinions, but it does incorporate egocentric concerns such as a soldier’s regard for his reputation. [3]
His first novel, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (1893), a grimly realistic story of slum life, was unpopular but gained the young writer the friendship of Hamlin Garland and William Dean Howells. [2]
During an unnamed battle, 18-year-old private Henry Fleming survives what he considers to be a lost cause by escaping into the nearby forest, deserting his battalion. [1]
His two books of epigrammatic free verse, The Black Rider (1895) and War Is Kind (1899), anticipated several strains of 20th-century poetry. [2]
This classic Civil War novel has been called one of the greatest of all time. [4]
As the drama of the war rages on around him, Henry continues to occupy his mind with questions concerning the nature of courage and honor and the possibilities of gaining glory. [...] Wilson, who begins the novel as an obnoxiously loud soldier, later exposes his own fear and vulnerability when he asks Henry to deliver a yellow envelope to his family should he die in battle. [3]
By March 1893, Stephen Crane had already published his first novel, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, at the age of 21. [...] He became fascinated with issues of the Century that were largely devoted to famous battles and military leaders from the Civil War. [1]
Sources:
[1] The Red Badge of Courage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
[2] The Red Badge of Courage - Books and Articles Online @ Questia.com
[3] SparkNotes: The Red Badge of Courage: Themes, Motifs & Symbols
[4] Red Badge of Courage ~ Stephen Crane ~ eBookMall ~ eBooks