The Red Badge of Courage, an extraordinary novel written by Stephen Crane, vividly describes the inner conflict between Henry Fleming and his own doubting soul. Henry romanticizes the vision of war as a thrill. However, his fantastical visions of war are shattered when he is actually faced with the bloodshed and trauma of war. Battling his doubts and the reality of war, Henry finally understands what true courage is and how much courage it takes to become a hero. Self-doubt prevents individuals from progressing in life due to a lack of self-confidence. The novel begins with the armed conflict in northern Virginia during the Civil War (1861-1865), when Henry desperately tries to convince his mother to let him become a "raw recruit" in the Union army. Without his mother's permission, Henry joins the army. Soon, temptations and self-doubts flood Henry, forcing him to flee the battlefield. The setting reinforces the theme and thesis in two main ways. First, running away from the battlefield is the result of self-doubt and lack of confidence, no matter how much he allows it...