The Red Badge of Courage

How does the Virginia landscape escalate or complicate Henry’s story? How is it described, from Henry’s perspective?

What are the major defining characteristics of war, as depicted by Crane? How do these differ from Henry’s expectations of war?

At first, Henry describes himself to himself in terms of being set apart from his peers and superiors, especially regarding his own sensitivity and intelligence. How does that way of thinking hinder Henry in the task before him?

When Henry first decides to run from battle, what evidence does he see around him that tells him retreat is his only option? How does Crane frame the morality of that decision in the moment?

Who is the mysterious stranger who guides Henry back to his camp? Why do you think that Crane decides not to describe him in any of his particulars?

What leads to Wilson’s change of character from the start of the story to the end? Where does his newfound selflessness come from, and how is it expressed?

Crane writes about Henry’s flight and subsequent cover-up of his retreat, “he had performed his mistakes in the dark, so he was still a man” (68). What does this statement reveal about the morality of conflict, both within a context of war and outside of it?

What is the role of male authority in Crane’s world? How does he derive his superior position and context, and in what way is that superiority undermined by the events of the book?