Henry In The Trenches Character Analysis Essay

Henry is a young soldier that grows and matures over a course of events, and it shows in his personality and his behavior. Henry shows some growth right at the beginning as he had enlisted himself into the military. Even though he’s entering thinking that it will bring him untold glory. This coming from the ideas that a young one has. He has much confidence in himself as he even brushes off his mother’s concerns for him. Though that changes right away as he begins to doubt and have fears as the regiment moves closer to battle. He begins to miss home and imagining monstrous images of everyday situations. Henry is pretty much consumed by this fear that he even thinks that it would be better to get killed directly and end his troubles. Though once Henry and his comrades are in the confrontation,

Though it doesn’t last long as the truth of battler begins to show itself and his fears and doubts began to appear again. When the second battle came he no longer had the confidence he had gained from the first battle and his fear began to show on the field, so when he saw another solider drop his gun and run, he lost his sense and took off running as well. Henry remains this way for a very long time and he tries to justify his actions. He so absorbed with himself that he no longer fights even though he wants to and even abandons a solider because he is afraid of him asking about his head wound. The wound on Henry’s head is not the red badge of courage that he wanted. It becomes the reason that he uses to protect his lies. It’s only when Henry notices Wilson's weakness when giving him letters to hold. With this strange new foundation, Henry begins to gain the confidence to battle again. With his confidence anew, he allows himself to see the reality of a solider, that in this it’s either be kill or be killed. Henry’s strong new-found confidence even begins to rub off on the other