Tuesday, August 4, 2015

In The Red Badge of Courage, what change does Henry notice in his friend Wilson?

Like most of the soldiers described in The Red
Badge of Courage
, Henry's friend, Wilson, also underwent many changes during
the novel. Also referred to as the Loud Soldier, Wilson began his stint as a
short-tempered braggart who promised to do big things once he finally got into action.
Henry envied his friend's seeming confidence right up until their first action. After
Henry "skedaddled" during the Confederate attack, his guilt bothered him mightily, and
he must have wished for Wilson's battle demeanor. But Wilson had changed, too. Wilson
eventually confides to Henry that he, too, had run when the action got too hot; an
officer caught up with him and forced him to stand and fight, but Wilson's first taste
of battle had altered him. His overconfidence had turned to realistic doubt in his
abilities. As Henry boasted about what he would do when the next attack came, it was
Wilson who questioned him about the outcome. When Henry pursued the retreating
Confederates long after they had retreated, it was Wilson who questioned his actions in
amazement. They had reversed roles at least momentarily: Wilson had become the quiet,
reserved soldier as Henry ridded his guilty conscience with a burst of foolhardy
heroism. In the end, both of the men came to realize the true horror of war: That any
man could become the target of a little red badge at any time.

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