The Red Badge of Courage, written by Stephen Crane, is one of the most significant works of American literature. The novel centers around Henry, an average farmboy, who desperately wants to fight in the Civil War. Despite his mother’s resisting pleas, Henry enlists in the war. Henry, rather than being terrified of war, is instead excited. He views war as a great “Greek-like struggle." To him, war is not a violent battle, but rather a chance for heroism and bravery. However, Henry abandons his regiment and flees in his very first battle. He feels great guilt and remorse afterwards, vowing to redeem himself and receive a “badge of courage” like his fellow soldiers. Henry transforms throughout the novel, utilizing war as his catalyst, eventually realizing the true meaning of courage and maturity.

Crane does an exceptional job of showing Henry’s transformation subtly. The novel never explicitly states Henry’s change in mindset about war; it is shown through his actions. When Henry first flees from battle, his thoughts and motives are explained in great detail. This contrasts with the description of his future battles, in which he is depicted undertaking great acts of courage. Contrary to the thorough exploration of Henry’s psyche when he fled from battle, these brave acts lack any clear logical input or morality from Henry. Henry fights fearlessly on a whim; he is unaware of being courageous, so he is courageous. As the novel progresses, descriptions of Henry’s inner psyche are reduced to impulse and unconscious tendencies, obscuring the reader and Henry himself from seeing his growth to maturity. Transformation occurs without realization, leaving the reader oblivious to Henry’s maturity until the very last pages of the novel. Maturity is subtle and frankly surprising, delighting the reader as they realize–Henry did in fact shed his delusions of war and gain insight. 

The definition of courage is redefined and transformed alongside Henry as well. At the beginning of the novel, valor is depicted as an amazing act requiring strong input and pure morality. However, Henry can only become truly courageous when he abandons these elements. Courage in the novel occurs due to mere tendency and instinct. In other words,  Henry must disable his individuality and psyche to enable true bravery. This does not tarnish the value of courage; it elevates it. Courage is redefined from boastful and romantic to a humble act that occurs simply through impulse. 

Ironically, we can only display true bravery when we, ourselves, forget we are being courageous. Bravery does not always have to come from great moral strength and logic; it can stem from mere instinct and impulse. Under this guise, humanity is brave innately.