Flag Power in The Red Badge of Courage Essays -- Red Badge Courage Ess

Flag Power in The sanguine mark of bravery Henry Fleming, after receiving his red badge of couragea stroke to the headtakes over the role of color-bearer during a vicious combat. As he sees his comrade sink to the ground in pain, he fights with his friend Wilson for the esteemed position of masthead-bearer and finally wrenches the Union colors from the grasp of the dying man. With the flag in hand, Henry feels immediately empowered the ubiquitous symbol of immunity and courage invests him with his own power and valiancy as he rushes hurried towards the enemy lines. Stephen Cranes continuous reference to color in The Red Badge of Courage, manifests itself outright in his few descriptions of the flag. The flag, symbolic by its very nature, invests the warriors with impetuous emotion as well as acting as an trend for action, in the case of the young soldier. Crane emphasizes descriptions of the colors, the flag-bearers and the enemys own flag to only increase the depth of feeling in the novel. Since a flag oft invokes deep sentiments of nationalism, patriotism and faith, Cranes very descriptions of the flag tend to be work with feeling and augment a description of source. As Henry Flemings character shifts throughout the course of the novel, the symbol of the flag also has a ever-changing effect on him. As he becomes empowered rather than affright by the battle, the flag too impresses him in an equally more strong manner. Before he attends his first battle, he sees the flags, the red in the grade insignia dominating. Crane further describes them as splashing bits of warm color upon the minacious lines of the troops. This convivial description further effects Henrys countenance as he feels t... .... Moreover, the colors of the enemy produce such a hatred, that Henry insists on holding his own flag higher and using her colors as a sign of his battle-worthy self. Works Cited and Consulted Berryman, John, Stephen Crane A Critical Biography. 1950. Rpt. In Discovering Authors. Vers. 1.0. CD-ROM. Detriot Gale, 1992. Bloom, Harold, ed. Modern Critical Interpretations Stephan Cranes The Red Badge of Courage. New Yourk Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courage. Logan, IA Perfection Learning Corporation, 1979. Gibson, Donald B. The Red Badge of Courage Redefining the Hero. capital of Massachusetts Twayne Publishers, 1988. Wolford, Chester L. Stephen Crane. Critical Survey of Long Fiction. Ed. Frank N. Magill. English Language Series. Vol. 2. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. capital of Oregon Press, 1991