Progress of the Regiment: A Framework for Understanding Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage
Abstract
At the center of both the novel and the scholarship of Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage is the characterization of the protagonist Henry Fleming. Until the 1960's most critic assumed that Henry matured, at least to some degree, and described the novel as a story of individual growth and initiation. More recently an increasing number of critic have found Henry's thoughts and actions to be consistently ironic and self-deluded. My discussion approaches Henry's maturity from a structural perspective. This study will investigate one of these consideration of form: how Henry's regiment serves as a major plot element, one that drives the forward action of the novel. The regiment is ever-present either physically or at the center of Henry's thoughts (And self rationalizations), it is one of the structural frames around which the novel is constructed. Henry's membership, as a green recruit in a newly formed and untried regiment, led by untested officers, is at the crux of his experiences. During the two days of fighting, the regiment and many of its individuals mature rapidly. The regiment's progression, reflected by the development is not just ironic self-delusion, but a realistic presentation of social consciousness and personal maturity. Theses.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA225888
Entities
People
- Timothy J. Brotherton
Organizations
- United States Military Academy