Individualism and Conformity in Stephen Cranes Red Badge of Courage :: Red Badge Courage Essays

Individualism and Conformity in Stephen Cranes Red label of Courage Stephen Cranes pieces are written with the intent to establish several(prenominal)ism as an unfavorable quality. He establishes that radical goals are more important than that of the individual and creates groups to which each character should conform. Crane supplies models for the individual to comply to and elucidates that adherence to the group would bring reward but deviation from said groups would be detri handstal. atomic number 1, in Stephen Cranes The Red Badge of Courage, is created as a child in search of self worth and assurance. Crane establishes Henry as an individual by giving him the ability to think for himself but creates situations that stifle his individualism in order for him to hitch within the group. Henry does the one thing that work force ought not. He thinks. In his thoughts he sees past the glory and valor that comes with recruitment and comes to question what could happen to him on the battlefield. He acknowledges the presence of something that the other men dare not death. The realization that lives are at stake, especially his own, let Henry to question whether he will have to courage to stay and fight or whether he will run. Crane creates Henry as an individual in a mass society. He injects him into the army with aspirations of attaining a sense of identity. Crane establishes Henry as the y prohibitedh to make it seeming that he was not like the other men of the 304th regiment. Henry stands out among the men and muses seriously upon the radical differences between himself and those men who were dodging skanky around the tree(P.184). Not only Henrys eye catches his obvious onanism from the group. Upon seeing Henry, Wilson responds What you doing here?(P.184), extending Henrys exclusivity and insinuating that he is out of place. Henry continually tries to judge himself by his comrades(P.181). Consequently, he attempts to quill hi s lack of confidence by quest out others from whom he can find confidence. This search leads him to Jim Conklin. Jim states that his actions would be situated by the surroundings but if everyone was a-standing and a-fighting, why, Id stand and fight(P.180). Jims claim gave Henry confidence.