Red Badge of Courage

He had taken up a first position behind the little tree, with a direct determination to hold it against the world. He had not deemed it possible that his army could that day succeed, and from this he felt the ability to fight harder. But the throng had surged in all ways, until he lost directions and locations, save that he knew where lay the enemy.
The flames bit him, and the hot smoke broiled his skin. His rifle barrel grew so hot that ordinarily he could not have borne it upon his palms; but he kept on stuffing cartridges into it, and pounding them with his clanking, bending ramrod. If he aimed at some changing form through the smoke, he pulled his trigger with a fierce grunt, as if he were dealing a blow of the fist with all his strength. (This passage is taken from chapter 17 of The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane.)


I thought this section of the passage was both inspiring and disturbing. Crane does such a good job with his battle and death scenes that it sometimes makes me sick. At another time, Stephan describes one of the youth's friends in a detailed three page death scene. His battle episodes are descriptive and realistic and I find them gruesome and jumbled messes. This specific scene caught my interest because the main character had finally decided that he is going to stand and fight regardless of the consequences. He stakes out his territory and will not allow any enemy to get near. He fights with all that is in him -- allowing his feelings to govern his actions. He is so consumed with firing at the enemy that he does not even realize that they have retreated until it is brought to his attention by his commanding officer. The officer then complements the youth saying that he wish he had more men like him and if he did he could whip the rebels in minutes. This is part of a turning point inside the youth as he realizes that he can do something courageous.