Henry Flemming, an inexperienced soldier, is the focus of Stephen Crane's novel, The Red Badge of Courage. Following the common misconception shared by many people of the time, at the beginning of the novel Henry believes that war is a place where one can become a hero, show courage and achieve honor and glory which many can only dream of. Throughout the novel, we witness Henry's perspective on war change as he is exposed to the true horrors it holds; As he is exposed to these horrors, Henry undergoes mental changes, going from a coward fleeing war to a hero. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Henry is in a camp with his group, when a soldier arrives and exclaims that the enemy was close; it was a false alarm, but the regiment would soon find itself in the heat of action. When caught in the middle of the battle, Henry runs towards the forest, fleeing the battle. While in the forest Henry finds a squirrel at which he throws a pine cone, when the squirrel ran away it led Henry to the conclusion that running away was a natural instinct. Leaving the woods, Henry comes across a trail that wounded soldiers use to find relief from battle. One of the wounded soldiers confronted Henry, asking him where he had been injured. To avoid embarrassment, Henry ran away from this soldier. He then meets a friend of his, a soldier named Jim. Henry realizes that Jim is injured, Jim's injuries are fatal and in a last attempt to avoid dying in front of a friend, Jim runs into some bushes where Henry sees him dying. This caused a change in Henry's view of the war; he no longer saw it as a glorious chance to become a hero, he saw it as the most horrible side that can only be witnessed in war itself. After Jim's death, Henry decides that this wound is a red sign of courage. Henry leaves Jim and meets up with another friend of his, to whom he lies, about where he was as well. Henry's change was evident in the next battle where he fought with machine-like movements, firing and reloading, shot after shot. A soldier stops Henry from shooting, telling him that the enemy has begun to retreat. This soldier calls Henry a hero; however Henry would not accept this. Henry prepares for the next battle; he realizes that no one in his group is expected to survive. In battle, Henry is able to carry the union flag; it made him a big target, but he still wore it with pride. Henry's regiment, against all odds, was able to defeat the enemy by successfully defending itself and winning the battle. After winning this battle, Henry and his regiment felt very accomplished. This caused Henry himself to realize that his views and approach to war had changed. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The Red Badge of Courage gives the reader an excellent insight into the mental conflicts that soldiers were commonly exposed to. We've seen Henry exposed to many of the negative aspects of war, but he also has many positive experiences. This book provided a unique view of the Civil War through the eyes of a soldier. I would recommend this novel to anyone who wants to learn more about the Civil War and the life of a soldier involved in it. There was excessive use of slang words in the dialogue between characters; this made.