The Red Badge of Courage: An Episode of the American Civil War

by Stephen Crane

"The Red Badge of Courage: An Episode of the American Civil War" by Stephen Crane is a war novel published in 1895. The story follows Henry Fleming, a young Union Army private who flees from battle during the American Civil War. Overwhelmed by shame and cowardice, he desperately longs for a wound—a "red badge of courage"—to redeem himself. Known for its psychological realism and distinctive style, the novel explores the inner terror of combat through vivid color imagery and unflinching honesty about fear, heroism, and human nature under fire.