Frequently Asked Questions about The Red Badge of Courage
6) Are we meant to sympathize with Henry Fleming, or see
him as foolish and
self-deluded?
In short, both. Like all human beings, Henry is by turns
cowardly,
brave, foolish, wise, mature, childish, self-aware,
and self-deluded. He
is certainly not a flat character who acts
the same way in every situation. Rather,
his behavior and
mindset are guided by his age, by circumstance, by
the people
around him, and by his physical and cultural environment.
Most readers do sympathize with Henry on some level, despite
his faults. In fact, one might argue that it is because he is
flawed
that we can identify with him. We recognize our own shortcomings
in this “youth,” and can therefore judge him only as harshly
as we
would judge ourselves.
