Question

Which line from the red badge of courage most clearly supports the theme of courage as henry would define it in his youth(at the beginning of the novel)?
a."And there were iron jaws of tradition and laws on four sides. He was in a moving box."
b."His busy mind had drawn for him large pictures extravagant in color, lurid with breathless deeds."
c."If so a time comes where ya have to be kilt or do a mean thing...don't think of anything 'cept what's right."
d."Frequently over this tumult could be heard the grim jokes of the critical veterans; but the retreating men apparently were not even conscious of the presence of an audience."

the conflict that most developed the theme of henry's defining courage in the red badge of courage is
a.man vs. nature
b.man vs. man
c.man vs. self
d.man vs. society

Answer 1

Which line from the red badge of courage most clearly supports the theme of courage as Henry would define it in his youth (at the beginning of the novel)?

The answer for the first question is b."His busy mind had drawn for him large pictures extravagant in color, lurid with breathless deeds." Henry has grown up reading novels and short stories about the Civil War which romanticize war and depict heroism as a epic feat that results in glory for the courageous hero of such stories. His mind is therefore "busy" imagining not only the stories about the glorious heroism and courage in the face of death but HIS OWN place in HIS OWN story of courage under fire. The "pictures" in question are not only the illustrations of the books he has read about war but his own mental images of his own courage and glory. He erroneously considers the narrations of the war novels he has read as lurid, i.e. vividly sensational and authentic. His vision of courage has been romanticized by these novels and has very little factual realism.

The conflict that most developed the theme of Henry's defining courage in the red badge of courage is:

c.man vs. self. Henry act cowardly during his first battle but he is ashamed of his own cowardice. However, nobody else knows that he fled combat and nature is logically indifferent to the horrors of war between men. Henry spends many chapters after his act of cowardice in a state of inner turmoil and guilty introspection.