RBC Test Study Guide: Characters and Themes

These flashcards cover key characters, themes, and symbols in the lecture notes, focusing on their definitions and roles within the context of the study on war and human experience.

Henry Fleming (The Youth)

Begins as naive and romanticized about war; develops through fear, desertion, shame, and eventual courage; represents the journey from boyhood to manhood through harsh experience.

Jim Conklin (The Tall Soldier)

Represents calm acceptance and dignity in face of death; embodies the 'good soldier' and shows that obedience does not guarantee safety.

Wilson (The Loud Soldier)

Undergoes transformation from boastfulness to humility; demonstrates that genuine courage comes from acknowledging and confronting fear.

The Tattered Soldier

Represents Henry's conscience and guilt after desertion; embodies innocent casualties of war and is a moral failure for Henry.

The Lieutenant

An ally to Henry who shares danger rather than providing wisdom; shows that courage is a shared struggle.

The Red Badge (Wound)

Symbolizes both genuine courage and false honor; highlights self-deception regarding courage.

Colors (Red, Yellow, Gray)

Red symbolizes blood and violence; Yellow symbolizes cowardice and fear; Gray symbolizes death and uncertainty.

The Flag

Represents pride and duty; symbolizes how symbols can drive men to action in war.

Nature/The Forest

Indifferent to human conflict; symbolizes the lack of guidance in courage and survival.

War as 'Red Animal' / 'Blood-Swollen God'

Personifies war as a force beyond human control, reflecting on its brutal and consuming nature.

Realism

Presents war without romanticization; shows authentic psychological responses and actual battle conditions.

Naturalism

Portrays humans as subject to forces beyond their control; depicts fear and courage as instinctive responses.

Impressionism

Focuses on sensory experience and perception; depicts confusion and fragmentation of the battlefield.

Romanticism (as critique)

Idealizes war as a glorious adventure; the novel critiques this by showing war's brutal reality through Henry's disillusionment.

Internal Conflict: Henry vs. His Fear

The primary struggle driving the narrative; shows fear can be overcome in stages.

External Conflict: Henry vs. The Enemy

Represents physical manifestations of fear; tests Henry's courage through combat situations.

Major Theme: War

War is a brutal, chaotic, and dehumanizing force, revealing the gap between romantic illusions and harsh realities.

Major Theme: Fear & Courage

Fear and courage are intertwined states; true courage emerges in action despite fear, often shaped by circumstance.