Life of Stephen CraneStephen Crane was born on

November 1, 1871 and died on June 5, 1900 at the young age of 28; He died of tuberculosis. He met Cora Taylor, the madam of a brothel with whom he would have a lasting relationship, in Jacksonville, Florida. While en route to Cuba, Crane's ship sank off the coast of Florida, leaving him marooned for several days in a small dinghy. His ordeal was later described in his well-known short story, "The Open Boat".

Point of View The Red Badge of Courage is told in third person omniscient point of view. The novel comes from the perspective of a young soldier who struggles with his inner self on whether or not to run away from the battle or not. The story shows the fear in the soldiers unlike most heroic war novels. The book was written by Stephen Crane, which never had any battle or military experience.

Color Symbolism In The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane uses color symbolism throughout his novel to describe details of war. The title is a symbol itself, the Red Badge was given to soldiers who had lost part of their body. Crane describes the skies as crimson, foreshadowing impending doom of the battle in which he uses crimson to describe the wounds of the soldiers.

The Emancipation ProclamationThe Emancipation Proclamation was

signed by President Abraham Lincoln, this action set forth change in the nation. The document granted freedom to all slaves including those who lived in the South. The law sided and established which side had won, and began the rebuilding of a nation where “all men are created equally.”

Naturalism- Humans having no control over their destiny. Ex. Outcomes of the battles, death of soldiers.

Realism- Representation of reality to the common people. Ex. Henry grasp that he was not a hero and that men actually get wounded and die.

Romanticism- Emphasis on emotion and the natural world. Ex. The idea that war is some glorious scene where men show bravery.

Impressionism- Scenes are not depicted by literal interpretations but rather the feelings characters are feeling. Ex. Henry’s thoughts and feeling about fleeing from battle.

Comparison of Corpse Scenes

In The Lord of the Flies, the corpse discovered by the boys is covered with grass, vines, and has other naturalistic features to it. The body is returning back to the earth, “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” In The Red Badge of Courage, the dead body is described as grotesque and looks as if he is in agony, but the body is also described as yellow and gray and becoming the tree.

The Gettysburg AddressThe Gettysburg Address was made by President Abraham Lincoln in honor of the men who lost their life during the Civil War. The speech stated that their lives were not in vain and that the rebuilding and unification of the Union was crucial to the survival of the United States.

The painting depicts the real sides of the war, without covering up or denying the grotesque truth about war. The painting also shows only the American flag and not the Rebel and Union flag signifying how America needs to unify itself once more.

Recruitment Poster

Feelings, thoughts, free flow of painting and emotion. Before the Impressionism movement painters were confined to lines and painting in studios.

Gone With the Wind

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell is a novel about the Civil War like in the Red Badge of Courage. Gone With the Wind takes place in the South, and centers around a man and a woman in love. The man must go to war, and by the end of the story and war all their fields are destroyed from the fighting and neglect. In The Red Badge of Courage all the fighting takes place in the North and the story is focused on Henry’s thoughts about battle and worries about fighting.

Battles in VA during the Civil War.