1、The Red Badge of Courage Stephen Crane Abouttheauther Born November,1871 in Newark,New Jersey.The fourteenth child of Jonathan and Mary Helen Crane.Published his first novel,Maggie:A Girl of the Streets,in 1893.Achieved international fame with the publication of The Red Badge of Courage in 1895.He w
2、as just twenty-three.Between 1895 and 1898,acted as a reporter and war correspondent for an American newspaper syndicate.Died on June 5,1900 from tuberculosis at age twenty-eight.Stephen CranePlotsummaryThestoryissetduringanunnamedbattleoftheAmericanCivilWar(美国内战）美国内战）.18-year-oldHenryFlemingjoinsth
3、eUnionArmydespitediscouragementfromhismotherandbecomesaprivateinthe304thRegiment.Duringhisfirstbattle,Confederatesoldierschargehisregiment,butarerepelled（击退）（击退）.Afewminuteslater,theyregroupandattackagain.WhenHenryseessomeotherpeoplerunningandhashisownfearsthatthebattleisalostcause（注定要失败）（注定要失败）,soh
4、edesertshisbattalion.However,whenhegetstotherearofthearmy,heoverhears(无意中听到无意中听到)ageneralsayingthatthearmywonanyway,andrealizesheranfornothing,andfeelashamed.Thenhefindsagroupofinjuredmenreturningfrombattle.Onememberofthegroup,the“Tattered(衣衫褴褛的衣衫褴褛的)Soldier”,asksHenrywhereheiswounded,butHenrydodges
5、躲避躲避)thequestion.Henryistired,hungryandhasaheadwound,sohedecidestoreturntohisregimentregardlessofhisshame.WhenHenryreturnstocamp,theothersoldiersbelievehisheadinjurytobecausedbyabulletgrazing(子弹擦伤子弹擦伤)himinbattle.ThenextmorningHenrygoesintobattle.TheymeetasmallgroupofConfederatesandinthefightHenryp
6、rovestobeoneofthebestfightersintheregiment.Inthefinalbattle,Henryactsastheflagcarrier.AlineofConfederatesishiddenbehindafencebeyondaclearing,andareabletoshootHenrysregiment.So,facingcertaindeathiftheystay,anddisgraceiftheyretreat,theofficersorderacharge.Henryleadsthecharge.MostoftheConfederatesatthe
7、fencerunbeforetheregimentgetsthere.Theoverallbattleends,andHenryandhisregimentmarchbacktocamp.ThemeThemeThebasicthemeistheanimalmaninacold,manipulatingworld.Craneislookingintomansprimitiveemotionsandtryingtotelltheelementaltruthabouthumanlife.Couragecouragedefiningit,desiringit,and,ultimately,achiev
8、ingitisthemostsalientelement.Firstly,Henrysunderstandingofcourageistraditionalandromantic.Attheend,hehasamoresubtleandcomplexunderstandingofcourage.Itisnotsimplyafunctionofotherpeoplesopinions,butitdoesincorporateegocentricconcernssuchasasoldiersregardforhisreputation.ManhoodHenrystrugglestopreserve
9、hismanhoodandhethinksthatbattlefieldcanearnhimthepraiseofwomenandtheenvyofmen;hewillbeahero,arealman,Theseearlyconceptionsofmanhoodaresimplistic,romantic,adolescentfantasies.JimConklinandWilsonstandassymbolsofamorehumankindofmanhood.Theyareself-assuredwithoutbeingbraggartsandareultimatelyabletoownup
10、totheirfaultsandshortcomings.Bythenovelsend,Henrymakesaboldstepinthesamedirection,learningthatthemeasureofonesmanhoodliesmoreinthecomplexwaysinwhichonenegotiatesonesmistakesandresponsibilitiesthaninonesconductonthebattlefield.Self-PreservationWarinthenovelisaplainslaughter-house,thereisnothinglikeva
11、lororheroismonthebattlefield,ifthereisanything,itisfearofdeath,cowardice,thenaturalinstinctofmantorunfromdanger.Ananxiousdesireforself-preservationinfluencesHenrythroughoutthenovel.Hisconceitsnamelythatthegoodofthearmyand,byextension,theworld,requireshissurvivaldrivehimtobehaveabominably.Henryrealiz
12、esthattheworldislargelyindifferenttohislifeandthequestionsthatpreoccupyhim.Courageandhonorendowamanwithabeliefintheworthofpreservingthelivesofothers,butthepervasivenessofdeathonthebattlefieldcompelsHenrytoquestiontheimportanceofthesequalities.Thisweighingofvaluesbegsconsiderationoftheconnectionbetwe
13、enthesurvivalinstinctandvanity.Symbols The Dead SoldierThedeadsoldier,whorepresentstheinsignificanceofmortalconcerns.Henryencountersthecorpse,decayingandcoveredbyants,atacrucialmoment:hehasjustreassuredhimselfthathewasrighttofleebattleandthatthewelfareofthearmydependsuponsoldiersbeingwiseenoughtopre
14、servethemselves.Thenthedeadsoldier,whoseanonymitystripshimofanypublicrecognitionofcourageandgloryforcesHenrytobegintoquestionhimselfandthevaluesbywhichhemeasureshisactions.StyleInsomewaysCranesstyleisornate,withprofuseuseofcolorandrampantmetaphorinawaywhichwasrareforhistime.ThebluesandgraysofthetwosidesoftheAmericanCivilWarareoftendescribedasnaturalphenomena,swirlinglikeclouds.FlemingsRegimentwasabrokenmachine.Indialogue,however,thestyleisearthy,writtenouttosoundasclosetothevernacularofthedayaspossible.Thisrealismwaslatertoinformmanyworksbutwasrelativelyrareatthetime.The endThank you
