Thesis

Throughout The Red Badge of Courage, Henry gains enough respect from his fellow soldiers and commanders to someday become a commander himself.

He called out to the youth: "By heavens, if I had ten thousand wild cats like you I could tear th' stomach outa this war in less'n a week!" (Crane 3.20). This quote comes after the regiment had been fighting and Henry had gone crazy. Henry was shooting and yelling like crazy and his commander says he wishes he had more men like him. This shows that the commander, the man in charge, has respect for Henry. If you have respect you’re your commander or lieutenant, you are in pretty good position to become a lieutenant or general yourself. This is one of the first places in the story where Henry actually just goes wild and starts fighting and killing for the good of the regiment.

The youth and his friend had a small scuffle over the flag. "Give it t' me!" "No, let me keep it!" Each felt satisfied with the other's possession of it, but each felt bound to declare, by an offer to carry the emblem, his willingness to further risk himself. The youth roughly pushed his friend away. (Crane 20.3) This happens in chapter 20 when Henry is fighting in battle and he sees the flag bearer has been shot in front of him. He quickly and courageously runs over to the flag, along with his friend Wilson, to pick it up. Henry and Wilson have a scuffle over who is going to carry the flag and Henry pushes his friend away and takes the position of flag bearer. This shows a great amount of courage to overtake a position that he had never done and to go to the front of the regiment. Henry’s actions show that he is ready to become something more, something better than just another average soldier, a commander in the U.S army.

An' th' colonel, he ses: 'Were they, indeed? Ahem! ahem! My sakes!' he ses. 'At th' head 'a th' reg'ment?' he ses. 'They were,' ses th' lieutenant. 'My sakes!' ses th' colonel. He ses: 'Well, well, well,' he ses. 'They deserve t' be major-generals.” (Crane 21. 39). This quote comes from two young men from the regiment who have overheard their commander talking to a lieutenant of the army. They come to say how the lieutenant praised how they went to the front of the regiment to fight and overtake the position of flag bearer. This is the best example in the book of why Henry will someday become a general. The lieutenant, the man in one of the positions of highest authority, said that Henry deserves to be a major general some day. This quote alone shows me and should show everyone who reads this why Henry has gained enough respect from his commanders to become a commander or general himself.

virginia.edu/~HYPER/CRANE/badge.html