The Red Badge of Courage

Summary

The Red Badge of Courage is the story of an eighteen-year-old boy whose romantic ideas about military life move him to join the Civil War, a conflict that is, to this day, the deadliest war in American history. Henry Fleming, the boy, often referred to as “the youth,” is from New York, the state to suffer the most casualties. When “the youth” finds himself in the middle of his first battle against a regiment of Confederate soldiers, he panics and deserts his regiment. From this premise, Stephen Crane explores the boy’s struggle to gain courage and maturity. There is no critical consensus on if and how Henry comes to better understand himself and the world. But readers have long praised the novel’s depiction of the chaos and psychological intensity of war.

Cover illustrated by: Sheila Wong

Sheila Wong is a graphic designer and illustrator based in the Pacific Northwest. Her work often pulls from a variety of experiences - from growing up as a child of Chinese immigrants in the Midwest, to years working in tech support and then design in the heart of Silicon Valley. When not at work, she is usually looking for new places to go camping, or building mechanical keyboards.