The story takes you to the Civil War when a Union regiment rested and camped along a riverbank for weeks for a war. Henry Fleming who is a teenager joins the army because of his love for the army but finds himself in the middle of the battle against the Confederate soldiers. In the battle, Confederate soldiers charge but are repelled by the Union. But soon Confederate soldiers charge again. Henry is terrified and leaves his comrades. He goes to a jungle where he finds a body decaying, while escaping from the place he finds a group of injured soldiers returning from the war. They ask Henry to show his wound. He tries to run from that place but things come in disarray. A soldier hit him with his rifle on his head. Exhausted, hungry, thirsty, and now wounded he decides to go back to his regiment. He faces shame and hatred from another soldier. He has to prove himself to get back his respect and pride.It is the story of a person who leaves the battleground out of fear. The story revolves around maturation, heroism, cowardice, and the indifference of nature.
Stephen Crane was born on November 1, 1871, in America. He was known for his short story, novels, and poems. He produced many stories novels and poems that are still recognized by modern critics. Crane was the ninth child of Methodist parents. He started writing at the age of four and by sixteen many of his works got published. He wasn't much interested in studies but had a great interest in fraternity. In 1891, he left Syracuse University and started working as a reporter and writer. He wrote his first novel in 1893 which was a Bowery tale, named Maggie: A Girl of the Streets. He won awards for the novel The Red Badge of Courage which was based on the Civil War that he wrote in 1895, without any war experience. In 1896, Crane endured a highly publicized scandal after appearing as a witness at the trial of a suspected prostitute, an acquaintance named Dora Clark. Later in the same year, he traveled to Cuba as a war correspondent. At the age of 28 Crane died due to tuberculosis in a Black Forest sanatorium in Germany. Crane was an important figure in American literature during the time of his death.
