Use Of Figurative Language In Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge Of Courage

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Author Stephen Crane’s accentuations of both the courageous and cowardly natures of one man are most compelling upon examination of Crane’s use of figurative language. Throughout the narrative, Crane’s word choice is exceptionally evocative. Crane’s extensive use of figurative language, such as metaphors, similes, imagery, and personification, highlights for the reader human flaws and strength in a man who must confront danger in the course of grand events.

Similes are used to make a comparison between two different things using like or as (YourDictionary).

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Crane uses similes to illustrate his point that men are, depending on the situation, capable of both cowardice and redeeming bravery. For example, Crane uses the following simile when describing the squad: “they were like two serpents crawling from the cavern of the night.

” (Crane 15). Crane’s use of the word “serpent” connotes the duality of man. “Serpent” has eerie connotations and suggests these men can be dangerous, with evil intent, yet capable of bravery and strength.

For instance, Crane refers to “the guns squatted in a row like savage chiefs” (Crane 40) to depict the inhumanity of these men in contrast to, for example, a reference to a row of something as charming and pleasant as flowers. Crane’s use of “savage chiefs” gives the reader a sense of action that is both inhumane as well as heroic. Crane uses this to provide the reader a glimpse of true bravery and how a man can come to display such characteristics in dangerous situations, hereby achieving redemption as he “crawls like a serpent from the cavern of the night.” The redemption is more compelling when achieved from such a dark place.

Crane’s use of imagery renders more vivid his contrast between the themes of cowardice and bravery. For example, Crane describes Henry’s flight from battle into the nearby dense woods, “the ground was cluttered with vines and bushes, and the trees grew close and spread out like bouquets. He was obliged to force his way with much noise. The creepers, catching against his legs, cried out harshly as their sprays were torn from the barks of trees. The swishing saplings tried to make known his presence to the world” (Crane 50). Here, imagery gives the reader a visceral sense of Henry’s struggle and desperation as he fights nature herself. Crane insures that Henry’s act of cowardice will not be easy, forcing him to ponder on his actions. Crane’s imagery dramatizes Henry’s cowardly decision and his ensuing struggle with its consequences. In another scene, Crane’s imagery gives the reader a glimpse into Henry’s perception of the world around him: “...and against it, black and pattern-like, loomed the gigantic figure of the colonel on a gigantic horse” (Crane 14). Crane uses gigantic to emphasize how Henry focuses on very large and intimidating objects. Here, Crane depicts Henry’s cowardice, as he is threatened by the “gigantic” figures. Imagery has allowed the reader to feel Henry’s fears. Crane allows the reader to feel the change from Henry’s flash of cowardice to his eventual redeeming bravery.

One final example of Crane’s exceptional use of figurative language to illustrate this contrast between glimpses of cowardice and redeeming bravery is his use of personification. For instance, when Crane describes the battle landscape, and the cannons with “...their noses poked slantingly at the ground grunted and grumbled like stout men, brave but with objections to hurry” (Crane 46), he portrays the cannons as if they were men who must face a hard task, but are brave enough to complete their task, illustrating Crane’s theme of redemption through bravery despite moments of cowardice. Similarly, Crane depicts, later in the text, the battle flags as they “...jerked about madly. It seemed to be struggling to free itself from its agony.” (Crane 32), and as the troops retreated, the flags “...sank as if dying...its motion as it fell was a gesture of despair” (Crane 33). Here, Crane gives the flags human emotion and feeling as the flags writhed in “agony”, showing the bravery and brutality of the war. This image, with its personification, is important. Flags are enduring images, symbols with outsized impact on our emotions. Like Henry, the flag must suffer with resolve in order to endure. Crane adds to his theme of cowardly nature overcome by redeeming bravery through his use of personification, giving the objects human qualities that impact the reader.

Crane executes for the reader a contrast between man’s capacity for either cowardice or true bravery in minacious circumstances. Crane highlights this contrast through his powerful use of figurative language. Through metaphors, similes, imagery, and personification, Crane creates an impact on the reader. Using literary devices, Crane advances the use of contrast between the human characteristics of cowardice and bravery. Most importantly, Crane teaches the reader the importance of redemption through bravery that can follow a fall to cowardice.