The Red Badge of Courage
(Stephen Crane)

Red Badge of Courage was written in 1893 by the young author Stephen Crane, and was first serialized in a newspaper in 1894. A full, complete novel was published in 1895, making the formerly unknown author Stephen Crane an instant success.

Crane was born in 1871 and grew up in New Jersey with his highly religious parents. Because of his upbringing, he became extremely rebellious in his young adulthood. Eventually, he became a full time writer and dedicated himself to creating authentic experiences. He was known for getting these authentic experiences by simulating as best he could the conditions of the characters in his novels; in researching for one of his short novels, for instance, he lived in extreme poverty for a time.

In a twist of irony, the Red Badge of Courage, the book he ended up being most famous for, was written without any personal experience of war or battle. The book is praised for its realistic vision of the American Civil War and is thought to be based on the Battle of Chancellorsville. In the late 1800's when Red Badge of Courage was released, all the books and stories about wartime were highly idealistic and glorified the battlefield. Crane's highly personal psychological examination and brutal realism made waves in the literary world and is thought to have influenced many modernist writers.

When it was first published, Red Badge of Courage was an instant success in England and later in America. The book was met with both wide acclaim and strong criticism. Some accused Crane of being too young, and others didn't like the movement away from portraying the glory of war rather than the realism. Others praised the book for its absence of political or militaristic views and highly emotional writing. Because Crane rarely used names in his writing, the book lent itself strongly to allegory of war rather than focusing on specific times or places.

Stephen Crane died only four years after publishing the Red Badge of Courage at the young age of twenty eight. He had moved to England with his wife and wrote constantly, trying to cash in on his newfound fame. Eventually, however, he succumbed to tuberculosis, leaving the Red Badge of Courage as his crowning glory.

Since it was published, Red Badge of Courage has never gone out of print. In the 1920's, the book became popular again. There were numerous film adaptations throughout the years, and many different publications. Over time, the Red Badge of Courage has come to be known as a classic American work and is taught in schools all across the world.