The Red Badge of Courage The First Modern War Novel

About the Novel  The story of Henry Fleming  a “youth” who enlists in the Union army  has romanticized ideas about war  quickly realizes that war is not what he expected  must battle the “rebels” as well as his own doubts & fears

About the Author- Stephen Crane  Born November 1, 1871 in Newark,NJ  14th child of a Methodist minister.  Started to write stories at the age of eight and at 16 he was writing articles for the New York Tribune.  After high school, spent 1 semester at Lafayette College and another at Syracuse University- was asked to leave

More About the Author  Moved to New York, worked as a free-lance writer and journalist.  lived among the poor in the Bowery slums of New York to research his first novel. Maggie: A Girl Of The Streets  second novel, The Red Badge Of Courage brought him international fame.  Crane's collection of poems, The Black Rider, also appeared in 1895, brought Crane better reporting assignments as a war correspondent in combat areas.

Even More About the Author  Crane settled in Sussex, England.During these restless years Crane refined his use of realism to expose social ills.  June 5, Crane died of of tuberculosis, which was worsened by malarial fever he had caught while he was reporting in Cuba.

Style- the unique way an author adapts language to ideas Stephen Crane’s style was:  Realistic  Naturalistic  Impressionistic

Realism  a literary movement that began during the 1870’s that was prompted by the Civil War  depicts life as it really is  extremely detailed description of the life of ordinary people  more pessimistic view of the world  a reaction against romanticism- a movement where the stories were about extraordinary people& there was always a happy ending. (Think of stories like Cinderella where everybody lives happily ever after)

Naturalism-  era that developed out of realism  people’s lives are shaped by forces of nature and/or society  human beings do not have control over their fate

Impressionism-  originally developed in France during the 1870’s  began in the U.S. in the late 1800’s, early 1900’s  overall impressions of a scene or object; not exact details (like you see in realism & naturalism)  similar to impressionistic paintings-

Waterlillies Realism vs. Impressionism Realism- clear, detailed Impressionism - gives the impression,not the clear picture

More Impressionist Paintings

To fully appreciate The Red Badge of Courage, it helps to have some background knowledge about the American Civil War.

The Civil War

Abraham Lincoln- President of the United States Ulysses S. Grant- 2nd Commander of Union Army The Union(North) General George McClellan- 1st Commander of Union Army

Jefferson Davis-President of the Confederacy Robert E. Lee- Commander of Confederate Army “Stonewall” Jackson- Commander of Confederate Army The Confederacy- (South)

Significant Battles & Events of the Civil War Era

Fort Sumter April Civil War Begins

July Battle of Bull Run  showed both sides that their soldiers needed training  both sides realized that the war would be longer & bloodier than they thought it would be. September1862 -Antietam  1 day, 23,000 soldiers were either killed or wounded. January 1, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation  all enslaved African Americans living in the Confederacy were freed  focus of the war shifted- Union troops were fighting to end slavery as well as to save the union.

July Vicksburg  Union - control of the Mississippi River  Cut off the South’s trade with Europe  Cut the Confederacy in half  Afterwards, Grant appointed Commander of the Union Army December Fredericksburg  Union army’s worst defeat June Gettysburg  Confederate troops fought both sides of the Union army  turning point in the war  Confederates would never invade the North again

September 1864  Union army captured Atlanta November 1864  Union burned the city Atlanta  Ripped up railroad tracks, burned homes, factories, & barns  Total war- new type of combat destroyed food & equipment that the enemy might use everyone was affected (not just soldiers)

1864 Lincoln defeats McClellan in the presidential election April 2, 1865 Petersburg & Richmond fall to the Union army April 9, 1865 Lee surrenders in Appomattox Courthouse

April 14, 1865 (Just 5 days after Lee’s surrender) Lincoln was Assassinated At the Ford Theater in Washington, D.C By John Wilkes Booth- a southern actor, blamed Lincoln for the South’s defeat

After the War Reconstruction- After years of fighting, the time for the US to:  rebuild the South  reunify the country