The Red Badge of Courage

Jeffrey Dietz

Setting

The Red Badge of Courage takes place during the Civil War, specifically around 1860. We can guess that it is either fall or spring for the season, but we don’t know for sure. The first quote of the book describes the landscape of where they are camped, “The cold passed reluctantly from the earth, and the retiring fogs revealed an army stretched out on the hills, resting. As the landscape changed from brown to green the army awakened” (1). Throughout the book Crane does a phenomenal job at painting a picture in the readers mind. The setting is pretty important to the story, because it plays a big role in the style of fighting that is done. Although, it could have been a different place in America where the Civil War was fought, but the way that Mr. Crane describes it really intrigues me. This story would not work in a different time or place, because after all, there really wasn’t another American Civil War. I would definitely not like to be in this setting. I would be like Henry and be scared of battle, I am definitely glad I live in the time period now.