Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage is an anti-war novel meant to oppose the romantic and patriotic notions which many people---especially young men like the protagonist of the book---have about war. The book shows how the young Union soldier is quickly awakened to the harsh and horrible reality of battle, and also how he survived the Civil War and for the first time in his life came to appreciate "quiet skies, fresh green fields, cool streams---a life of quiet and lasting peace" (108). Crane accomplishes this awakening through the young man by immersing the reader in the confusion, terror and suffering which war actually is. The author does not simply make theoretical arguments against war, but shows us how the horrors of war affect one individual soldier who enlisted believing that war was honorable, patriotic and romantic. Part of the effectiveness of Crane's novel in making this anti-war argument is that he has picked a war which most would agree was fought for a noble cause---the ending of slavery and the continuity of the nation of the United States. By showing that even in such a "noble" war there is far more horror than glory, Crane has in effect indicted all wars---both "just" and "unjust" wars.
Crane shows us that the young man enters the military life under the illusion that war is romantic and noble: "From his home his young eyes had looked upon this was in his own country with little understanding. It must be some sort of play affair, he had often thought" (3). He believes at the same time that war was not as wonderful as it once was, but he still believes that"there was much glory" in battle. "His mind had drawn for him large pictures, bright in colors and brilliant in deeds of courage and daring" (4).
Crane gradually begins to wear down these illusions of glory and heroism in the young man. We see that there is much monotony for the protagonist before his first battle. Then he begins to wonder if he will be ...