The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane follows Private Henry Fleming as he grows from an innocent youth to a seasoned veteran during the Civil War.
The novel opens with Henry questioning his strength, fearing he will run from battle. After putting up a fight, he runs from the line on the enemy's counter-attack. He soon meets a group of wounded soldiers and sees his friend die. Soon wounded himself by a frenzied fellow soldier, he returns to camp where he recuperates until his regiment achieves an unlikely victory, capturing the enemy's flag. After this victory, Henry reflects on his life and concludes he is a man of courage.
The controversial ending of this psychological exploration has led several to reconsider whether Henry truly has grown, or if the Crane intended it ironically, claiming that Henry's transformation is unrealistic. Still, the Red Badge of Courage remains America's first war novel, written by a journalist who paints a very realistic portrayal of war, despite he himself had never enrolled.