War is no walk in the park, that's a fact. But what can result from war in addition to external wounds are internal blemishes that can only be corrected by the mind itself. These flaws could be numerous obstacles, such as immatuarity, selfishness, and jealousy, to name a few. In its plot, The Red Badge of Courage, it recognizes them all through the thoughts of the main character, Henry, and the friends he meets along the way. Through the materialization of fundamental human flaws, Stephen Crane reveals these traits and then fixes them through experience and battle, both internally and externally. Youth to maturity was a common topic of the novel, and perhaps the most obvious one. The transition that Wilson faced from being the loud soldier in his introduction to a calmer and more mature one was evident in both his actions and behavior towards the war effort. At first he had the demeanor of a young, boisterous soldier, confident in his ability to outmaneuver the entire Confederate army with nothing but gun in hand and boots on the ground (p. 18). When the doubtful Henry asked him whether to "fight or fly" in the face of danger, Wilson replied smugly, "Run?...run? Of course not!" Later in the story, before they entered the first battle, Wilson became morose, suddenly unsure of the outcome of the battle and the effect it would impose on the regiment. From here on, although the reader is spared further details regarding Wilson (momentarily suggesting his death, as we see the story only from Henry's point of view), until Wilson is encountered by Henry in the Union camp, apparently with a softer and more humble attitude (p. 90). Wilson is the representation of the maturation from blunt, rude and self-centered to helpful, humble and unflappable in... middle of paper... second battle, he runs away from his regiment - something he is later ashamed of, but not wrong. Through a series of events, Henry is made to understand that there is no justice in war: the good will die, nature will not shed a tear for the lost, and changes will need to be made to prevail. And he does so after letting go of his childhood jealousy and high expectations and then recognizes that the world was made for him. At the end of it all, Henry reaches a mature state not only because of his experience, but because of his realizations about how battle scars don't make a hero, but how his actions and sacrifices made him who he was. . He came to understand how in life there are changes, tragedies and hostilities, all combined with exuberant and lasting moments of joy, just like in real life. Works Cited Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane.