Set during the Civil War, the novel follows Henry Fleming, a young Union recruit who enlists chasing glory and immediately finds the reality of war unrecognizable from what he imagined. In his first real battle, he panics and flees. The rest of the novel is less about combat than about the psychological aftermath — Henry’s desperate need to reconcile what he did with who he wants to believe he is.

Crane, notably, never fought in a war himself; he was born after the Civil War ended and built the novel entirely from research and imagination, which makes its psychological precision more striking, not less. The title’s “red badge” is a wound Henry doesn’t actually earn in combat — he’s struck by a fleeing Union soldier’s rifle, then lets everyone assume it’s a battle wound. That fabrication sits at the center of the book: Henry’s arc isn’t really about becoming brave, it’s about becoming skilled at self-mythologizing, at editing his own cowardice into a story he can live with.

Course Details

2 Sections Offered (select one section on the registration form):

Section 1
Sundays
Oct 25, Nov 1, Nov 8, Nov 15, Nov 29
7:00-8:15 PM ET
(6:00–7:15 PM CT  /  4:00–5:15 PM PT)

Section 2
Mondays
Oct 26, Nov 2, Nov 9, Nov 16, Nov 30
7:00-8:15 PM ET
(6:00–7:15 PM CT  /  4:00–5:15 PM PT)

Students are responsible for the purchase of their own hard copy of the book.
Buy the book via Amazon here.

To apply, click “Add This Course” above. When you’ve added all your courses, click “Apply Now” below to finish your registration. You’ll choose your dates and section in the next step.