Henry Fleming Character Analysis

Wanting To Die: Henry Fleming Henry Fleming is an important character who is unique and unlike most others. He joins the civil war at a young age with dreams of becoming a war hero. Throughout his journey, Henry changes and develops peculiar views on war. These different impressions affect him and his experience in the army. Henry becomes unique and different because of his views on what it takes to be courageous and the ultimate meaning of death in war. Henry Fleming has unique ideas about heroism and what it means to be courageous. Henry shows his perception of courage in his actions both before the battle worrying and when he in the heat of war. Before the battle, Henry expresses his idea about courage. In Henry’s mind, the ultimate test …show more content…
Throughout the many battles, Henry looks at the dead with envy and wishes to be like those who passed away. This is because in wars, those who die are thought of as brave and courageous, and are remembered in history. Henry knows this, and therefore, he wishes to be like those who have fallen. One example of this strange desire is when Henry sees other soldiers that are riding to their death on the battlefield. At this point, the story reads: “he wished to change lives with one of them.” Henry pictures himself “getting calmly killed on a high place before the eyes of all, and even thought of the “magnificent pathos of his dead body.” This shows how much Henry wished to be a hero of war. He would, without a doubt, be happy to give up his life in order to be remembered. In addition to wishing to die, Henry shows examples of his ambition by envying the injured. When Henry came across the scarred soldiers in his regiment, he wished to be like them. At this point, the story reads: “He perceived persons with torn bodies to be peculiarly happy. He wished that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of courage.” This sentence shows how Henry interprets wounds and death. He does not think of getting wounded or scarred as a terrible tragedy, but instead of as a marvelous occurrence equivalent to a medal of honor. By wishing to be dead, Henry shows his view of how death is

Show More

Related Documents: Henry Fleming Character Analysis

Examples Of General APA Guidelines