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Here is the first chapter.

The Red Badge of Courage, written by Stephen Crane in 1987, depicts the life of Henry Fleming, a young Union soldier, in the Civil War. Henry Fleming, always referred as “the youth” by Stephen Crane, enlisted in the Union after hearing of daring battles and glorious victories, despite the discouragement from his mother. After he joins the army, his regiment doesn’t see battle for months, and when the time comes to fight, a nagging thought enters the youth’s mind, what if he runs when the real fighting begins? If he does run, he will be labeled a coward, but if he stays, he may be killed, the thought haunts him the rest of the story. As the battle begins, he stays and fights until he sees other soldiers start to flee, fear takes him and he runs with them. After the battle, he learns that his company held off the Confederates and Henry becomes afraid that if he returns, he will be labeled as a coward. He finally decides to go back to his regiment, so he travels along the wounded where he meets and witnesses the death of his friend, Jim Conklin. After the death, he is asked where he was hit, and without an answer, Henry backs off, soon realizing that he desired to wear a “Red Badge” or wound. This is a story that displays loyalty and courage.
When the Union goes to war with the Confederates, the call goes out to the country. Will Henry Fleming be loyal to the country and serve in it? After much decision, he decides to fight in for the Union despite all of his mother’s discouragement. He is also loyal to his comrades when he fought later in the book, because he stayed by their side and rallied his compatriots to keep fighting, even though many of them had died or ran. And with loyalty, Henry Fleming also had courage.
When courage is needed, Henry overcomes the cowardice inside him. Henry had doubted himself before fighting the battle and actually ran off during the battle. When Henry finally becomes pooped out, he stops and regrets ever running away. He even heard that his regiment had held the Confederates off, which adds even more guilt on to him. He feels that he must proof himself, so he heads off to the sounds of battle, but gets lost on the way and ends up with the wounded where he witnesses his friend, Jim Conklin’s, death. As he keeps walking, a wounded soldier comes by and asks Henry where he was injured. Henry, embarrassed, just walks away and then secretly desires a Red Badge, or wound, to show his courageous. Then, he gets in a tousle with another soldier and gets his head hammered open. When he reaches his regiment, his regiment recognizes the head wound as a “Red Badge” and pampers Henry, who enjoys the thought of heroism and goes along with the thought of being shot in the head. Later, a chance for Henry to redeem himself, he fires his gun in frenzy at the enemy so much, that his gun was burning his hands afterwards. Later, he picks up the Union flag from the dying flag carrier and swings it valiantly. Thus, overcoming his weakness of cowardice, and gaining the courage he needs.
The book portrays a youth in the Civil War with setbacks to overcome flawlessly. The story is suspenseful, and enthralling to all readers looking for a good fiction Civil War novel to read.

“… THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE furniture. They were grouped about the fireplace. A picture from …”