Blog #10 - "The Red Badge of Courage"

This story can relate to both Ralph Waldo Emerson and David Henry Thoreau for several reasons. First of all, this story is about a young soldier named Henry. The whole time Henry and the other soldiers are walking to where they are going to fight, Henry is very worried and scared. He was scared that when the time for battle came, he would not be able to be courageous, but instead he would want to flee. The problem was, that Henry really wanted a "red badge of courage" like many of the other soldiers that he was fighting with. Anyway, sure enough when the time came for battle, he fled. He was running away and as he was running, he stumbled upon a "tattered" man (Crane). To make a long story short, he leaves the man there to die. The next day he feels really bad about leaving and feels especially bad about leaving the man there all alone to die. He goes out to battle that day and fights like he has never fought before. He ends up being very brave and fighting like a good soldier, and he finally feels courageous.

This relates to Thoreau I think more than Emerson. I think that this relates to Thoreau because, for starters, Henry fled from the battle originally. He was scared. Now, I don't know if Thoreau was scared, but Thoreau did separate himself from society. It just kind of reminded me of Henry fleeing into the woods and stuff. Also, Thoreau and the Union have similar views I think. Both Emerson and Thoreau are against slavery and very much for freedom and that is what the Union was fighting for as well. None of them wanted slavery. So, that is how I think that this story relates to Ralph Waldo Emerson and David Henry Thoreau. I liked this story more than I originally thought that I would, but it was not my favorite so far.






"Untitled Document." The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. Web. 24 Feb. 2012.


Wayne, Tiffany K., ed. "Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson." Critical Companion to
Ralph Waldo Emerson: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Chelsea House
Publishing, 2010. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE54&SID=&iPin=CCRWE0243&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 31, 2012).