How Does Henry Fleming Change In The Red Badge Of Courage

The Evolution of the Mind of Henry Fleming

The Red Badge of Courage is a historical fiction novel written by Stephen Crane. It takes place during the American Civil War and follows the journey of Henry Fleming, a young man who has enlisted in the war on the side of the Union. Over the course of the story, Henry changes tremendously, starting as a reasonably sane, rather prideful, but also fearful youth, and ending with considerable damage to his psyche, significant blows to his ego, but still having gained some courage. However, the most notable change throughout the book concerns Henry’s sanity, or lack thereof; this is the transformation that will be explored, and Henry’s evolution throughout the novel will be revealed.

Henry starts out with

“In the darkness he saw visions of a thousand-tongued fear that would babble at his back and cause him to flee, while others were going coolly about their country’s business. He admitted that he would not be able to cope with this monster. He felt that every nerve in his body would be an ear to hear the voices, while other men would remain stolid and deaf” (Crane 14). He is anxious restless, just waiting for his first skirmish. His thoughts are frantically running away, with him in tow and just barely hanging on. It doesn’t stop there,

It’s not his first, but it’s the one in which he finally snaps. Crane expresses that, “Once [Henry], in his intent hate, was almost alone, and was firing, when all those near him had ceased. He was so engrossed in his occupation that he was not aware of a lull. / He was recalled by a hoarse laugh and a sentence that came to his ears in a voice of contempt and amazement. ‘Yeh infernal fool, don’t yeh know enough t’ quit when there ain’t anything t’ shoot at? Good Gawd!’” (72). At this point, Henry is shooting at air, purely for the sake of shooting. His mind has snapped as he attacks things that aren’t even there, and even his comrades are shocked and afraid of him. He himself is scared, hurt, has seen and created death; nevertheless, Henry can still find healing and