The Red Badge of Courage The First Modern War Novel

The Red Badge of Courage The First Modern War Novel

About the NovelThe story of Henry Fleminga “youth” who enlists in the Union army has romanticized ideas about warquickly 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

1891- Moved to New York, worked as a 1891- Moved to New York, worked as a free-lance writer and journalist. free-lance writer and journalist.

1893- lived among the poor in the Bowery 1893- lived among the poor in the Bowery slums of New York to research his first slums of New York to research his first novel. novel. Maggie: A Girl Of The StreetsMaggie: A Girl Of The Streets

1895- second novel, 1895- second novel, The Red Badge Of The Red Badge Of CourageCourage brought him international fame. brought him international fame.

Crane's collection of poems, Crane's collection of poems, The Black The Black RiderRider, also appeared in 1895, brought , also appeared in 1895, brought Crane better reporting assignments as a Crane better reporting assignments as a war correspondent in combat areas. war correspondent in combat areas.

Even More About the Author

1898- Crane settled in Sussex, England.During these restless years Crane refined his use of realism to expose social ills.

June 5, 1900- 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

ideasStephen Crane’s style was:

Realistic

Naturalistic

Impressionistic

Realisma 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

1861-1865

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 1861-

Civil War Begins

July 1861 - Battle of Bull Runshowed both sides that their soldiers needed training both sides realized that the war would be longer & bloodier than they thought it would be.

September1862 -Antietam1 day, 23,000 soldiers were either killed or wounded.

January 1, 1863 - Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation

all enslaved African Americans living in the Confederacy were freedfocus of the war shifted- Union troops were fighting to end slavery as well as to save the union.

July 1863- VicksburgUnion - 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 1862- FredericksburgUnion army’s worst defeat

June 30 1863- GettysburgConfederate troops fought both sides of the Union armyturning point in the warConfederates 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, & barnsTotal 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, 1865Lee 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