The Red Badge of Courage

Commonly considered Stephen Crane's greatest accomplishment, The Red Badge of Courage (1895) ranks among the foremost literary achievements of the modern era. When its publication was announced in Publisher's Weekly on 5 October 1895, Crane was largely unknown. Although his volume of poetry published earlier that year, The Black Riders, had made some waves in literary circles, it struck most readers as quirky and cryptic. The gritty social realism of his first novel, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (1893) had earned praise from literati such as Hamlin Garland and W. D. Howells, but Crane probably gave away more copies than were actually sold. (The story is told that Crane, in a desperate advertising scheme, paid men to ride the Manhattan El train and conspicuously read copies of Maggie.) When Crane signed a contract with D. Appleton and Co. to publish Red Badge, he was not well-known enough to command an advance, and agreed to a flat 10 per cent royalty on the retail price of all copies sold. Published in the autumn of 1895, Red Badge went through two editions before the end of the year. By March of 1896 the novel was in eighth place on the international booksellers' list and had gone through fourteen printings; remarkably enough, Red Badge has never been out of print. Unfortunately, unremunerative contracts with publishers and a general lack of good business sense kept Crane insolvent for much of his life. But with the publication of Red Badge, Crane achieved almost overnight celebrity.

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Recent Forum Posts on The Red Badge of Courage

i have a few questions

why did henry leave the tattered man and the other wouned men? how did the cheerful man help henry get back to the his unit? when henry returned to his unit, how was her treated? how had henry received a head wound? how did henry become the flag or standard bearer? and last but not least what did henry find in the clearing in the woods? i need these answers right away and i need them badly.

Posted By riku209 at Wed 28 May 2008, 11:23 AM in The Red Badge of Courage || 0 Replies

need help

I have a question, how did the author's point of view and personal "bias" influence the plot and outcome of the story?

Posted By thepianist at Wed 22 Aug 2007, 3:45 PM in The Red Badge of Courage || 0 Replies

is he a hero???

hi, ive read this book twice. ive gone on every website possible. it puzzles me that i cant find if he is a hero or not. he did run. and he got a "fake" red badge of courage but im still trying to figure out if he is one. i am no longer in school so this is to just help me figure more things out rather then having to think about it during lunch at work:crash: .flare: :thumbs_up thanks, much gratitude. Joe campbell:thumbs_up:)

Posted By joecan at Fri 11 May 2007, 7:15 AM in The Red Badge of Courage || 0 Replies

yellow packet

what does the yellow packet in red badge of courage mean. I know that wilson gave it to him, but is it a letter? oh, and why did Henry think he might need to use the packet.

Posted By hockeymaster99 at Sat 19 Aug 2006, 11:11 PM in The Red Badge of Courage || 3 Replies

I have a few questions that need to be answered.

Hi, i have just a few questions that have to do with the Red Badge of Courage. If any one could answer these or give some sort of idea, it would be greatly appreciated. 1) What effect does imagery have on the story? 2) What does crane mean when he uses the term battle sheep? 3) What point of view does Crane use in the book? What does it allow that no other point of view would allow the reader? Thank you for your patience and answers

Posted By hockeymaster99 at Fri 18 Aug 2006, 7:23 PM in The Red Badge of Courage || 2 Replies

please help

hello im doing a project for school and i was wondering if anyone knew the conflict of this story .. it will be greatley appreciated if you please respond . thank you

Posted By hotiewitbodi at Mon 10 Jul 2006, 11:25 AM in The Red Badge of Courage || 4 Replies

Stephen Crane's Red Badge of Courage

I have been reading the The Red Badge of Courage. I a quite interested by the author. I looked up on the internet and found that he, Stephen Crane, did not actually joined the American Civil War. Infact, he joined the war between America and Mexico. I don't know why he wrote this book. Can any one tell me why did Stephen Crane wrote the The Red Badge of Courage not talking about the Mexico War but the American Civil War and the main character isn't himself either? What is his motif of writing this book?

Posted By lkkcpaul at Mon 29 May 2006, 3:15 AM in The Red Badge of Courage || 1 Reply

Your Opinion

do you think that henry in the end is? a true hero? why or why not?

Posted By midnightshimmer at Sun 14 May 2006, 2:49 PM in The Red Badge of Courage || 1 Reply

hero vs. no hero

i have to write a 4 page research paper on a argumentative subject from the red badge of courage. i found the topic of is henry a hero or not a hero (he did run!) i dont know which side to pick. post your opinions please.

Posted By midnightshimmer at Sun 14 May 2006, 10:57 AM in The Red Badge of Courage || 1 Reply

What exactly is "the Red Badge of Courage" ..?

Hey guys.. Im doing a project for school and i need some imput. What do you think .. or what is the "Red Badge of Courage" .. and why is it the Red Badge of courage.. and not just.. the badge of courage If you have ANY info on this or any links to direct me too.. it will be greatly appreciated.. thank you. and Godbless

Posted By Gage at Mon 24 Oct 2005, 5:44 PM in The Red Badge of Courage || 4 Replies

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