Stephen Crane's "The Red Badge of Courage"

Paper Summary:

This paper uses William James' idea of "multiple social selves" to analyze the ways that the sense of self of the protagonist Henry, in Stephen Crane's "Red Badge of Courage", is tested repeatedly from the moment he decided to volunteer for the army. The paper maintains that Henry is egoistically occupied with his own honor and self-preservation because, instead of helping his fellow soldiers in war, Henry is absorbed in how he looks. The paper further suggests that Henry is relentlessly preoccupied with thoughts of his "sins" of war; therefore, his social self will always be in a dilemma with his private self.

From the Paper:

"When Henry gets hit on the head with another terrified soldier's rifle, his comrades assume that he has been injured in combat, and so no explanation for his vanishing are needed. Henry believes that as long as he hasn't been exposed as a cowardly deserter, then his courageous reputation remains intact and his social self in the eyes of his regime is one of distinguished bravery and leadership. Henry's private sense of self continues to be dishonest and it is apparent that this war has not made him into the mature man he thinks he has become."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge Of Courage. London, England: Penguin Popular Classics, 1994.
• James, William Psychology: Briefer Course (New York: Collier Books, 1962)

More papers on Stephen Crane's "The Red Badge of Courage":

• Book Review # 145589 : "Natural Order in "The Red Badge of Courage"
• Analytical Essay # 128255 : "Henry's Evolution in "The Red Badge of Courage"
• Analytical Essay # 52624 : "Stephen Crane's "The Red Badge of Courage"

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