Expectations versus Reality in Stephen Cranes The Red Badge of Courage

Expectations versus Reality in Stephen Cranes The Red Badge of CourageThe notion that war is an exciting, wild-eyed endeavor full of glory and heroism has existed for centuries. Stephen Crane set out to demystify war through his novel The Red Badge of Courage, which traces the experiences of a progeny soldier in the American Civil War. Crane shows the truthful nature of war by direct contrasting Henry Flemings romantic expectations with the reality that he encounters. This contrast between romantic vision and cold reality can be seen early in the novel, with Henrys departure from home. Driven to a prolonged ecstasy of upthrow by the rejoicing crowd, Henry enlists in the army and says good-bye to his mother with a light of excitement and expectancy in his eyes (709). He anticipates a romantic, sentimental send-off reminiscent of Spartan times and even goes as far as preparing remarks in advance which he hopes to use with touching piece to create a beautiful scene (710). However, Crane presents a more realistic view. At the news of Henrys enlistment, his mother simply says The Lords will be make and continues milking the cow, having previously urged Henry not to be a fool by enlisting (709). She then destroys his hopes by offering sensible,... ...es in anguish while his athletic supporter Jim suffers and dies. Today, many of the romantic myths about war have been destroyed through television and movies such as Born on the Fourth of July, which shows war with all(a) its suffering, pain, and death. Yet it was Stephen Crane who, a century ago, deglorified war through the experiences of Henry Fleming. With his frequent contrasts between romantic vision and cold reality, Crane clearly portrays the true horrors of war. Work Cited Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage. Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Geroge McMichael, et al. 5th ed.Vol. 2. New York Macmillan, 1993. 707-87.