The Red Badge of Courage Review
It Begins: “The cold passed reluctantly from the earth, and the retiring fogs revealed an army stretched out on the hills, resting.”
And it Ends with: “Over the river a golden ray of sun came through the hosts of leaden rain clouds.”
It was 142 pages and took me 18 days.
I would recommend this book to all guys. It is a great story of one young Union soldier’s part in a civil war battle. The story itself focuses on the thoughts and feelings of the young man from the beginning of his enlistment through victory in a outnumbered charge.
What I got out of this book is a deeper consideration for the mental fluctuations through soldiers’ minds throughout their first battle. Of course this story is fictional but on many occasions I’ve wondered how I would react in certain situations, much like Fleming, the main character. He discovers this by being stuck right into a battle. The battle brings out his vulnerability and fear which lead to him being ashamed and finally to bravery and courage.
Crane does a great job of giving the soldiers interesting and authentic personalities. This makes it very difficult for the reader to refuse to put themselves in the main character’s shoes.
I liked the way this book was written. I liked the fact that it was set in the American civil war. I liked the simple theme of overcoming your fears. I liked the characters and their personalities. And I liked the fact that Fleming’s painful badge of courage came from a friendly soldier.
This American classic is appropriately on the list of 100 books for men.
