Lukas RemeikaPeriod 4 American LiteratureMs. CollinsMarch 1, 2014Response/Analysis1. The novel I read is called “The Red Badge of Courage” by Stephen Crane. It was published by Bantam Dell in 1895 and contains 133 pages.2. At that time, America was going through a civil war. The United States was struggling with internal conflicts for territory and power and the British came to take over the United States.3. After finishing the novel, I felt relieved. The book was a bit boring and not as expected. While reading the book, I imagined myself a little in Henry's place. In difficult times, I tend to find the courage to do a reckless activity to ensure that what needs to be accomplished is completed. Henry, during the war, found the courage to step forward and pose a threat to his enemy, even at the risk of his life. Even if I couldn't risk my life like him, going above and beyond is what I would like to do.4. During my annotations, I mainly focused on the character, Henry, and how he grew from an average young boy to a heroic and courageous man. He fled the war in fear only to return with the will to fight.5. Henry Fleming, the main character of the novel was a young soldier fighting for the Union Army during the American Civil War. As the novel progresses, Henry encounters the difficult roads of war. These encounters showed the insignificance of his own life. Henry had a dreamy view of himself, but he learned his lesson when he first fled battle. Frightened and incompetent, Henry realizes what he must do and then returns as a true soldier to battle. Another character in the novel was Wilson. Wilson, although a noisy soldier, was Henry's friend in the division. Wilson and Henry grew close as they shared the paper's difficult milieu.......The authors use the color red for symbolism. The quote: “Across the river the red eyes were still watching” (Kazin 56) represents fear and enemies. This shows that there are relations of blood and war on the other side of the river.13. Self-preservation is the main theme of “The Red Badge of Courage”.14. Two main literary theories were used: Marxist and psychoanalytic theories. They demonstrated both the society and rank of the soldiers as well as the feelings and thoughts of Henry and his comrades.15. From this text, I learned that war is not easy. It plays with both your mind and your body. I realized that I would not want to go to war, even if it was for my country. War is an irrational solution to what people can debate about. Risking lives and losing things you love is not worth it. Overall, I found this novel a bit boring and would not interest me..