War is percieved in a certain way by many. Most visualize war as strong young men, with thorough integrity when it comes to their cause, fighting day and night for what they believe in. However, in Stephen Crane's classic novel The Red Badge of Courage, Crane gives war a whole new face. His main character, Henry, spends most of his time sitting around with his regiment as they bet amongst themselves when the army will move next. When they finally do fight, it's very spread out and anticlimatic.
There is also a certain perception that once a soldier's duty is done, they return home to a loving wife and two kids with a giant flag hanging over their doorway. Henry's story simply doesn't end this way. He just marches off.
Crane argues that society needs to change their perceptions of war. He shows how it isn't pretty, it isn't exciting, and too often it ends in a quiet, anticlimatic way, rather than the big, fantastic way some would like to think. I agree with his arguement. In school we learn from nonfiction autobiographies and memoirs about real war, how it really is. Through these books I've learned to see war in this new light and have developed an opinion similar to the one Crane portrays in Red Badge of Courage.
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