The Red Badge of Courage

[Kaleb]

The Red Badge of Courage takes place in the civil war where a young man by the name of Henry long dreams about joining the army. Soon enough Henry sees that war is not as great and glorious as he thought before his enlistment. The young soldier is left waiting and thinking about how he will do in the real action that happens in war. The amount of waiting for battle got to his brain. The more doubt and fear filled his brain the closer he got to having to fight in his very first battle. When his time for battle finally comes the overconsumption of negative thoughts draws him away from his regiment to run for his life. He stays on his retreat until the noise of war comes back to him in which he returns. On his return, more enemy troops come which ends in a retreat of Union forces. Trying to figure out what has happened Henry was knocked out on the field for some time. Confused and half blinded from his serious head wound, Henry finds a way to return to his camp even with the fear of what they might do with him after his absence. Talking to the wounded Henry soon finds out that many of the men are just as afraid as he is which leads him to a new understanding of himself and war. Henry converts his the fear of anger and rounds up a new feeling of courage. Now with a brave heart Henry finds his place in battle and continues to fight for his glory he had so longed for.
I would have to say that my experience with the book was nothing beyond good. One of my favorite subjects that intrigue me the most would be History and war. Being this book was written about a man fighting in the civil war I was automatically interested. Giving the time period of when it was written and how myself or someone who is into war or history stories made the book already a fun read. I would recommend it as a small fun read to anyone who has the same love for the type of book this is. Things I liked besides having read a book about the civil war would have to be the story of Henry from start to beginning. The struggles he had faced through the start of the book only led you to think of what fate lay in store for Henry. As the book went on you couldn't picture the renewal of Henry’s thoughts on the war. You could only feel happy for Henry that he finally could fight and be the hero he always wanted to be. One thing I never exactly liked is how some parts do seem to drag on but that does help with the reader being able to feel what Henry felt when he just had to wait bored and scared never knowing when the battle would come. I have read many real-life stories about the civil war but never have I read any war book with the similar plot which made it a new adventure for me.