NAME: ______________________________________

Character Analysis in The Red Badge of Courage

In Stephen Cranes novel, The Red Badge of Courage,
Courage Henry Fleming is a young Union
soldier in the Civil War. Before he enlisted, Henry had a romantic view of war. This
passage takes place before Henrys rst battle as a soldier.

However, he perceived now that it did A little panic-fear grew in his mind. As
not greatly matter what kind of soldiers his imagination went forward to a ght, he
he was going to ght, so long as they saw hideous possibilities. He contemplated
fought, which fact no one disputed. There the lurking menaces of the future, and
was a more serious problem. He lay in failed in an effort to see himself standing
his bunk pondering upon it. He tried to stoutly in the midst of them. He recalled
mathematically prove to himself that he his visions of broken-bladed glory, but in
would not run from a battle. the shadow of the impending tumult he
Previously he had never felt obliged to suspected them to be impossible pictures.
wrestle too seriously with this question. He sprang from the bunk and began
In his life he had taken certain things to pace nervously to and fro. Good Lord,
for granted, never challenging his belief whats th matter with me? he said aloud.
in ultimate success, and bothering little He felt that in this crisis his laws of life
about means and roads. But here he was were useless. Whatever he had learned
confronted with a thing of moment. It had of himself was here of no avail. He was
suddenly appeared to him that perhaps in a an unknown quantity. He saw that he
battle he might run. He was forced to admit would again be obliged to experiment as he
that as far as war was concerned he knew had in early youth. He must accumulate
nothing of himself. information of himself, and meanwhile he
A sufcient time before he would have resolved to remain close upon his guard lest
allowed the problem to kick its heels at the those qualities of which he knew nothing
outer portals of his mind, but now he felt should everlastingly disgrace him. Good
compelled to give serious attention to it. Lord! he repeated in dismay.

N Inis this
this passage, Henry is facing a part of himself that he knew nothing about. What
characteristic?

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Copyright 2012 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms. www.k12reader.com
 NAME: ______________________________________

Character Analysis in The Red Badge of Courage

In Stephen Cranes novel, The Red Badge of Courage,
Courage Henry Fleming is a young Union
soldier in the Civil War. Before he enlisted, Henry had a romantic view of war. This
passage takes place before Henrys rst battle as a soldier.

However, he perceived now that it did A little panic-fear grew in his mind. As
not greatly matter what kind of soldiers his imagination went forward to a ght, he
he was going to ght, so long as they saw hideous possibilities. He contemplated
fought, which fact no one disputed. There the lurking menaces of the future, and
was a more serious problem. He lay in failed in an effort to see himself standing
his bunk pondering upon it. He tried to stoutly in the midst of them. He recalled
mathematically prove to himself that he his visions of broken-bladed glory, but in
would not run from a battle. the shadow of the impending tumult he
Previously he had never felt obliged to suspected them to be impossible pictures.
wrestle too seriously with this question. He sprang from the bunk and began
In his life he had taken certain things to pace nervously to and fro. Good Lord,
for granted, never challenging his belief whats th matter with me? he said aloud.
in ultimate success, and bothering little He felt that in this crisis his laws of life
about means and roads. But here he was were useless. Whatever he had learned
confronted with a thing of moment. It had of himself was here of no avail. He was
suddenly appeared to him that perhaps in a an unknown quantity. He saw that he
battle he might run. He was forced to admit would again be obliged to experiment as he
that as far as war was concerned he knew had in early youth. He must accumulate
nothing of himself. information of himself, and meanwhile he
A sufcient time before he would have resolved to remain close upon his guard lest
allowed the problem to kick its heels at the those qualities of which he knew nothing
outer portals of his mind, but now he felt should everlastingly disgrace him. Good
compelled to give serious attention to it. Lord! he repeated in dismay.

N Inis this
this passage, Henry is facing a part of himself that he knew nothing about. What
characteristic?

Actual answers will vary. Examples of correct answer:

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Henry discovers that he does not know himself as a soldier. Crane tells the
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reader that Henry as far as war was concerned he knew nothing of himself.
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Henry has never doubted himself before, always believing in ultimate
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success. Now he considers the possibility that he will run from his rst
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battle, something he had never imagined he would do in his romantic dreams
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of glory.
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Copyright 2012 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms. www.k12reader.com