Miriam Kaiser’s Reviews > Four Classic American Novels: The Scarlet Letter, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the Redbadge of Courage, Billy Budd > Status Update

The ending of Red Badge of courage ties the whole story togther. The beginning seems as if the author is rambling about how Henry tortures his conscience about running from the battle. But at the end when "the youth" becomes a man, when hefinds his place, "he became not a man but a member. He felt something of which he was a part - a regiment, an army, a cause, or a country - was in crisis.