Dec. 15/08
Dear Mr. Crane,
I just finished reading Your novel The Red Badge of Courage. I enjoyed how it was set during the American Civil War in 1895, and how it looked at both aspects of war: the terrible bloodshed involved, and the soldiers that emerge as leaders.
Young Henry Fleming joins the army thinking he is going to be a hero and lead his army to victory. As Henry is exposed to the various aspects of war such as disease, death and bombardments, he begins to see that the war is a very frightening place to be. After seeing his newly found friends die, he becomes engulfed in cowardice and tries to fight it, in the hope that he will again find the courage that brought him into the war.
In the first few pages of Your book, You describe Henry’s naïve and idealistic view of war.
“He had, of course, dreamed of battles all his life –of vague and bloody conflicts that had thrilled him with their sweep and fire. In visions he had seen himself in many struggles. He had imagined peoples secure in the shadow of his eagle-eyed prowess. But awake he had regarded battles as crimson blotches on the pages of the past… He had read of marches, sieges, conflicts and he had longed to see it all,” (Pg. 5). This quotation shows how Henry’s views on war are unrealistic, and how unprepared he is for the horrors that await him. This quotation is effective because it sets the stage for Henry’s downfall as he is mixed in with the other soldiers. He engages in an external conflict against the enemy on the battlefield, and an internal conflict within himself. He is like the stereotypical young draftee. He believes in the glorified image of war with many victories, awards and honours, when this is really not the case.
Another passage from Your book that I found interesting was when Henry’s regiment falls victim to a sneak attack. “A man near him who up to this time had been working feverishly at his rifle suddenly stopped and ran with howls… He [Henry], too, threw down his gun and fled. There was no shame in his face. He ran like a rabbit,” (Pg. 66). This quotation shows how Henry’s courage and ambition are quickly replaced with cowardice and fear as the enemy draws near, and death is upon him. I liked this passage because it shows how people act in times of distress. In this case, what defines courage is fight from flight. If Henry stayed and fought, he would be recognized as a brave soldier, but since he runs away, he becomes a coward.
The final passage from Your novel that appealed to me is when Henry reflects on his victory during the final battle. “With this conviction came a store of assurance. He felt a quiet manhood, non-assertive but of sturdy and strong blood… He had been to touch the great death, and found that, after all, it was but the great death. He was a man,” (Pg. 221). With this realization, Henry transforms from a naïve boy to a seasoned soldier who faced and overcame the fear of death. He wins the battle not only against the enemy, but also within himself. He restores the courage inside of him that he lost on the battlefield. I like this quotation because it shows that people can overcome their greatest challenges, and come out victorious.
There are two things that You could have done to improve the novel. I think that writing the novel in first person would have made the story more realistic. This way, the story would have been told through Henry’s eyes, letting the reader see more of the battle inside him between courage and cowardice. Also, it took too long to get into the plot and action, making the book very tedious.
Overall, I would recommend this book to history and war enthusiasts. However, because I am not very fond of heavy war novels, I give the book three out of five stars.
