Throughout the novel, many examples of religious symbolism can be seen. Jim Conklin is an important symbol. Besides the fact that Jim Conklin and Jesus Christ share the same initials, Conklin also bears other similarities to Christ for other reasons. Jim, at the moment of death, is described as “waiting patiently for something he had come to encounter” (79). Much like the death of Jesus Christ, Conklin accepts his death and he believes that by dying he meets his destiny. After Conklin's death, Crane described the sun as being "stuck in the sky like a wafer", and since wafers symbolize the flesh of Christ in many Christian rituals, it can be seen that the "red sun" in the sky symbolizes that. Conklin's passage from this world to the next (80).Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"?Get the original essayThe "red badge" of courage, in Henry's eyes, is "an injury" that makes a soldier "especially happy"; a wound that testifies to a soldier's participation in combat (74). This means that Henry views this red badge as an injury that proves a person's courage in battle, because he believes that courage comes from participating in a battle and fighting for one's country. After the battle from which Henry escaped, he considers the wounded to be “particularly happy” (74). Henry is young and to some extent naive. This is demonstrated by why he joins the war effort in the first place; he “wanted to see everything” because “his mind had drawn him large, extravagantly colored, sordid pictures of breathtaking acts” (7). He wants to be part of the war because he sees the glory of being part of it, and although he runs away at the first sign of danger due to a survival instinct, he hopes to gain glory as soldier in the war. Consequently, he feels inadequate when he realizes that everyone wears a "red badge of courage", proof of their membership in what is considered a heroic endeavor, but this is not the case. These characters are given these names to emphasize their key characteristics, and that ultimately they are all the same person; a soldier. By referring to them by their descriptive names, the author emphasizes a key element of their character, and by keeping the name ambiguous and vague, he emphasizes their lack of individualism. The “Noisy Soldier” is so named because of his quite loud and boastful nature. Although we later learn that his name is Wilson and that he undergoes many changes throughout the novel, all we know at first is that he has a "childlike face surrounded by 'a happy smile', and the fact that he 'obviously complimented himself'. from the modesty of this statement”, we can deduce that he is also boastful (24,25). The Great Soldier, or Jim Conklin, is so named because he is considered the bravest and most admired character in the novel. Many parallels are drawn between him and Jesus Christ, and the fact that people "look up to him" makes it appropriate for him to be called the Great Soldier. Henry is called youth because the book essentially chronicles his maturation from youth to adulthood. At the beginning of the novel, he is naive and has in his head “great pictures with extravagant colors” painted on the glory of war (7). Over the course of the novel, he learns that this is not true, but because he strongly believes it at first, Henry is called the Younger. Henry sees the Great Soldier (Jim Conklin) as a mentor, an elder who can teach him how to be a great soldier. This is demonstrated by the fact that "the great soldier, for his part, gave hima certain assurance” (17). In fact, throughout Conklin's presence in the novel, he acts as a teacher to Henry, teaching him how to shoot and leading him into combat, among other things. But perhaps the most important lesson he teaches Henry is that of courage as he lies dying. Jim's refusal to accept medical help and his request to "leave me alone" are proof that he has the courage to make the ultimate sacrifice for his country (79). This lesson is invaluable to Henry and changes him immensely. The tattered man is, for Henry, only an image of what a man should not be; this is demonstrated by the fact that “he was so enraged by the tattered man” that he left him to die (84). The Ragged Man is the embodiment of everything Henry thinks a man should not be; talkative and unmanly. The kind man teaches Henry another important lesson; this kindness should not be reserved only for those with whom we have a connection. In the midst of war, everyone is part of the Union or the Confederacy. There is no middle and there is no distinction between people of each group; everyone is pretty much the same (see #4). This means that kindness can and should be universal and doesn't have to be reserved for the "same type of person" or someone you share a bond with. This is the lesson that the kind man teaches Henry. When it "suddenly occurs to the youth that he has not once seen [the good man's] face," he realizes what kindness really is, and he realizes that this kindness is also an important element of courage; he learns that he who is courageous must also lend a helping hand to those who need it (102). Through these three key characters, Henry learns to be courageous and he learns the true meaning of courage, being willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for those in need or for a just cause. This important idea helps develop his character immensely and leads to the changes that occur in his character throughout the book. Although they have marked differences, both Wilson and Henry make the drastic transition from childhood to adulthood over the course of the novel. At the beginning, both are young, naive and childish, with a "child's face surrounded by a joyful smile" (24). However, as the novel progresses, both mature profoundly. Henry takes “note of a remarkable change in his comrade since those days of camp life” later in the story, as they undergo their maturation (114). Ultimately, their symbolic holding of the Union Flag indicates their bond through their shared maturation throughout the novel. Crane sees a marked difference between the leaders of the battle and the ordinary soldiers. Just as an employee generally cares more about a company than a manager (since the manager only supervises), soldiers are portrayed as being more passionate about war than their officers. Crane goes so far as to describe an officer's "furious anger" and compare it to that of a "spoiled child" (42). By using a phrase like this, he is suggesting that the higher position of officers makes them more self-important and spoiled than soldiers. In contrast, ordinary soldiers are positively described as being “savage with one desire,” meaning that they crave to win the war to achieve glory (43). Additionally, while one of the commanders is described unflatteringly as “galloping and bawling,” the soldiers are described as “galloping like wild horses” (42, 41). This difference in description shows the difference Crane sees between the leaders of the battle and the ordinary soldiers. 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