I Can't ... Can I?

 

Lessons From The Red Badge of Courage: 

What is the first thing you find yourself saying during hard times? What did you think about that same circumstance before you entered into it? And once you did, was your reaction different than what you expected it to be? If you answered this last question with YES, do not feel bad about yourself because you are not alone. No matter what a person believes they would do in a given situation, many people discover that what they actually do does not coincide with those prior claims. Author Steven Crane tackles this phenomenon head-on in his novel, The Red Badge of Courage. 

The most difficult topics to write about are the ones that mean the most to me. Objective writing, though important enough to get the facts correct, does not require me to become emotionally involved. I have written, erased, re-written, scrapped, and started again this blog three times now. With the version you are now reading, I still believe that I have not given enough credit to the writer, or honor to the men and women who have served our country, that they deserve. I was not sure how to approach this post, but I have decided to pull from my own experiences and those of other veterans that I know to explain my thoughts.

Edwin Jemison, Killed in battle 1862  

Although he never witnessed an episode of war himself, Crane wrote a novel that is relevant to readers almost a century and a half after it was first published. When reading fiction, readers know they must suspend disbelief so they can enjoy it. They know it is not history, yet in a lot of ways, Crane's novel could be.  He once "called his novel a psychological portrayal of fear" (David 65). Written from the main character, Henry Fleming's perspective, it is an imaginative stream of consciousness with psychological realism. As a Naturalist writer, his unconventional approach portrayed the impacts and effects of war on a young soldier's mind, not softening the certainty of death with promises of everlasting reward. While giving his readers a broad view of the events occurring on the outer world, Crane invites them into an intimacy within the mind, not of a General, but of a common, young soldier.  

Death, or Rebirth?

At the age of 85, the budding nation of the United States was already at war with itself. This is the closest the United States had been to cease to exist in its history. If the Union, the U.S., had lost, other countries would have had evidence that a government like ours (the Democratic Republic, or the Constitutional Republic, where the people directly chooses their leadership) could not survive. Henry Fleming is a young man who lives with his mother on their farm. His mind, drenched with stories of kings, knights, and Greek warriors with strong swords and gleaming shields, he desires nothing more than to join the war. According to Crane the youth "had, of course, dreamed of battles all his life - of vague and bloody conflicts that had thrilled him with their sweep and fire" (5). Using words like, dreamed, imagined, and visions, Crane describes the youthful, would-be warrior in terms that reveal his inexperience in matters of conflict beyond that of what he has read in books. Crane refers to the young man as "the young soldier" and "the youth," characterizing Henry as immature and ignorant, which he remains throughout the majority of the novel until a series of catalytic events transforms him from Youth to Hero. 

300 - Return with your shield, or on it. 

The youth joins the army, against his mother's pleadings, though his motivations for doing so are far from honorable. It makes no difference to the youth why there is a war; what matters to him is that there is one, and he wants to join it. While Henry's mother tries explaining to him that he is needed on the farm, he finds little worth in that and romanticizes about returning from battle, a victorious soldier, which would surely set him apart from the uneducated and domesticated farmers at home. 

The rest of the novel invites us into the mind of this young soldier while he deliberates whether he has what it takes to be the hero he has always dreamed of, or if he will flee in the face of danger. It doesn't take long for Henry to begin to question his own ability when he is confronted with his lack of experience during his first battle. Without giving away too much, I will tell you that he does run. You have heard of the fight or flight syndrome, right? Well, Henry is so overcome with fear that he runs and because of that, he is so full of shame, he thinks that there is no way he will be able to face his regiment again. But isn't it normal for instinct to kick in when your life is in danger for self-preservation? Later Henry finds himself envying other soldiers who had received battle wounds, and it is not until he receives a wound himself that he feels he can return to his regiment, never mind that the wound is superficial and is from someone fighting on his side! 

Many of the regiments were formed of men from the same town who grew up together, went to school and to church together. Captains were their schoolmasters, preachers, Mayors, men of importance, and friends. Back at camp, there is a soldier, Wilson, whom Henry knew as loud and obnoxious, but that was before his first battle. Upon Fleming's return, he noticed that it seems like a switch had flipped and Wilson has become the regiment caretaker. He transformed from an objectionable, unweathered man, into a caring, selfless soldier, overnight.  Crane even changes the way the two men feel about each other, by turning from calling them "the youth" and "loud soldier" to comrades and friends. Crane also begins to use their last names to refer to them, signifying a growth alongside their changing characters. You see, Wilson had found his place in the regiment, and by doing so, he had discovered his purpose for being there. Fleming was still just trying to save face, lest anyone find out that his wound was slight and that he really was a coward on the inside. He began to place his own insecurities upon the others, convincing himself that they were all just as scared as he was, no matter how their demeanors portrayed them on the outside.

Fall Forward

The bloody wound symbolized courage and bravery, and it wasn't until the other soldiers treated Fleming with more respect, that he began to see himself in a more positive manner. In fact, during the next battle, instead of running to safety, he found himself running towards the battle. At first, the regiment jostled and pushed him, until "directly he lunged ahead and began to run ... he ran toward it as toward a goal ... he ran desperately, as if pursued for a murder" (102). He was not yet fighting with an enemy, or for a cause, he was fighting because that is what he was supposed to do. At this point, he was aware of his "dingy rag with its spot of blood, his wildly swinging rifle, and banging accouterments, he looked to be an insane soldier." Fleming is acting unconsciously, out of rage from the energy of the moment, and yet he still couldn't give a reason for his actions as "His mind took a mechanical but firm impression so that afterward everything was pictured and explained to him, save why he himself was there" (103).  His rage gave him mental strength. He realizes his own change but does not know or recognize what the catalyst was. Fleming is finally in the battle he had always dreamed of, and yet, it was nothing like he had dreamed. 

At this point, our young soldier is fighting more than a physical enemy. His inner adversary is Fear. Fear of being found out, fear of doubt, fear of aimlessness, fear of failure. Fleming was fighting with a lack of purpose. So, to cope with this fear, he ran. When Crane's readers follow Fleming on his journey, they never see him running from something. His progression is always, in his mind, a forward advancement. He runs to the woods to save his life, he runs to a tree to seek cover, he goes to camp to rejoin his regiment, he runs towards the battle, and by looking at him in this manner, one can notice that in each experience, he is moving forward in his maturation process as well. When he entered the war, his only desire was to become a hero. Once he separated himself from the battle, this dream was brought into question. 

Why war?

As the men were rushing around in a frenzy, Fleming noticed the canopy of trees, the blades of grass, the corpses heaping into piles on the ground around him, "the delirium that encounters despair and death" and in the midst of this madness, "the youth wondered, afterward, what reasons he could have had for being there" (103). The one thing Henry forgot to dream about was purpose. Once in the midst of fighting, Crane explains that "The faces of the men, too, showed a lack of certain feeling of responsibility for being there ... the whole affair seemed incomprehensible to many of them" (105). What the men were missing was more than a theme, they needed an idea, something to rally around that would remind them of their objective, and why they had joined in this war, to begin with. To many of the men, their country was secondary to the urge to fight. 

Crane illustrates the fascination of what war was thought to be through Fleming's thoughts which were typical of many a man before they actually experience it. They perceive that war is glorious, with parades, honor, recognition, soldiers with a girl hanging on each arm, for girls love a man in uniform. When faced with the reality of war, the soldiers needed a tangible symbol of why they were there. Each soldier joined the war for their own reasons. For some it was money, others craved the adventure, and still others, from both sides, believed it was the right thing to do. They all needed something to represent what being American was. It is actually being able to own property. For the Union soldier, they could exclaim to the opposing army, "This is My nation, how dare you tear it apart." One real-life Civil War soldier is quoted as saying, "I don't believe anybody should be cutting apart my country without my saying so" (Christen).    

Purpose

Dating back to before Rome, armies have been known to use flags as their rallying point. The flag is held in reverence and given honor. A flag is a cloth standard raised on a pole high enough for everyone to see. The flag symbolizes something else like armies or nations, honor, courage, and freedom. The flag bearer is given respect accordingly. Many have died holding the flag, and a patriot is willing to die for defending it. Each side had a flag to represent them that their army could look upon to follow and could cause fear in the eyes of their opponents. Since these armies spoke the same language, worshipped the same God, and looked the same, they needed something that distinguished their side from the other. A flag represents hopes, dreams, inspiration, distinguishing armies, retreat, progression, encouragement, what each side hopes their country will be after the war is resolved. It also represents the pain, struggle, death, fatigue, and the cause that was worth fighting for. Soldiers will cling to this symbol to give their cause in the battle meaning, a cause for which they are willing to die. 

Being a flag bearer is a huge responsibility. When the flag advances, the army advances, but when it is retreating, the army follows likewise. Hope and despair lay in the hands of the one who bears the standard. During a moment of chaos, smoke, shouting, and men running in all directions, Fleming sees the flag bearer get shot. As he watches his flag slowly dropping towards the ground a moment of truth is set before him, and perhaps he remembered a moment "the flag suddenly sank down as if dying ... its notion as it fell was a gesture of despair" (31), and purposed that he would not allow his flag to fall in defeat. He will take up that standard and despite his own fears and tendencies for survival, raise it up and keep it flying. Looking at the soldiers who had become family preparing to retreat, the youth finds a new boldness and with every ounce of bravery he feels something:

     "Within him as he hurled himself forward, was born a love, a despairing fondness for this flag which was near him. It was a creation of beauty and invulnerability. It was a goddess, radiant, that bended its form with an imperious gesture to him. It was a woman, red, and white, hating and loving, that called him with the voice of his hopes. Because no harm could come to it he endowed it with power. He kept near as if it could be a saver of lives, and an imploring cry went from his mind" (106).

    In Henry Fleming rose a determination for the protection of the flag. Suddenly, from deep within, the young boy-turned-soldier, found his purpose, his reason to fight. The beautiful flag, that stood for freedom, and everything that the country had not yet obtained, but would certainly become, it symbolized a nation where all things are possible. He felt bound to carry it, and he would die protecting it. 

    Christen told me a true story about a soldier of the 4th MN who had lost his father prior to the war. He had become the man of the family. Less than a year later the hired man he had left in charge of the farm died. The soldier wrote his family that he would petition for a discharge to save the farm. His mother wrote back telling him she would save the farm, he was to save the flag.  It is entirely possible that Crane had Fleming feel a heroic pride because of many stories just like this one. Saving the flag meant everything, even if it meant losing the farm.  

What makes a Hero?

The novel ends with Fleming and his comrade, Wilson, advancing the regiment forward clear to the enemy's post, and in a triumphant moment, capturing their flag. Did Henry Fleming suddenly become courageous, or was it in him the whole time like a sleeping giant just needing to be awakened? Henry finally feels as if he will be returning home a hero. Is one courageous when they think of others above self, or can one be brave even if it is to save self from danger? If one exhibited weakness in the past, are they doomed to be branded forever? Courage is not stagnant. It comes and goes depending on the circumstances. Henry's regiment once called "mule drivers" (100) was now considered victorious. His growth, change, experience, tests, interactions, contemplation, self-analysis, emotions, and actions were not for nothing. 

I asked Christen what to him makes someone a hero? He answered, "A man or woman who stands up and is willing to die for something greater than themselves, who is willing to protect his comrades even if it cost them their life. The fireman, running into a burning building, saving the child they don't know. The policeman standing in front of others to save their lives in a crisis. Anybody willing to do that has my respect." And when asked his feelings about the flag he responded, "It stands for everything good. All the freedoms we have, to speak freely, to defend our family, I look at the stars and stripes and see what we are still striving for. We will outdo the wrong of the past with good."  

Does it take more than just showing up? Sure it does. Can a hero have doubts about themselves? Sure they can. Courage means facing your fears, but it never says that a hero has no fears. It is said that a brave man dies once; a coward dies a thousand times. I suggest to you that a brave man dies twice. The first death is to himself and his own needs, the second he is willing, if needed, to die for someone else.  

The Guardians of Ga'hoole. What is the definition of a hero?

Why?

If you ask 100 people what the American Civil War was fought over, you will get 100 different answers. Some say slavery, and others say it was to stop the federal government from having too much control over the States, and still others might add that for the nation to survive, the states needed to remain united. Crane purposely leaves politics out of his novel, and I believe that is because he wants his novel read and relatable by everyone, no matter what side of the line you reside. The lesson is one of growing and maturing, one of loving your country, not what one thinks is right or wrong. What is right is taking care of one another, and being united as a nation. 

Robin Williams - Flag

Star Spangle Banner as You've Never Heard It Before

So, why is this so personal to me? I am a descendant of fighters from the Revolutionary and Civil War and have had relatives in every war since then. I too joined the military and served in the Air Force. The flag means more to me than I have yet learned how to put into words. I have friends from my time in the AF who are closer to me than some of my own family. As I have learned, family can be more than blood. While I am writing this post, My friend is writing a paper on the Civil War for history class, my husband is watching a war movie, and boys in the backyard have nurf guns and are playing a war game with the neighbors. I can't help but wonder what delusions of grandeur are in their heads. Do they see themselves being mighty warriors like Fleming did? 

Please read

 I interviewed a good friend of mine who retired from the Army last year, about many of the questions that I had while reading this novel. I will have a page in the left-hand margin containing the full interview. It is my hope you return to read it too. In my book, HE is a hero, though he doesn't look at himself that way. 

Shane Christen helped me with questions I had. He is a Docent and Board Member at Aliveo Military Museum in Red Wing, MN. He is also a Living Historian with the 3rd MN, VI. Christen is a published author (Men of Flesh and Blood) and volunteer with the American Legion. I met him when we served together in the Air Force. 

Work Cited:

Crane, Stephen, Richard Fusco, and Stephen Crane. The Red Badge of Courage and Selected Short Fiction. New York: Barnes & Noble     Classics, 2003. Print.