The Red Badge of Courage

A fictional account of the American Civil War, The Red Badge of Courage depicts more than the challenges and destruction of war. Told from the narrow viewpoint of a young private in the Union Army, the reader gains insight into the thoughts, fears, and emotions of a soldier as he witnesses his friends and fellow “mule drivers and mud diggers” battle for the Union’s victory. Faced with uncertainty, grief, shame, and battling his own cowardice, Henry Fleming eagerly looks forward to being injured to display his heroism and overcome his fears, volunteering to carry the flag into battle, unarmed and vulnerable

The Open Boat

Four desperate, exhausted men are forced together by fate and nature after being shipwrecked. The reality of their situation is grim as they drift along in their small boat, isolated, fatigued, and uncertain. In an attempt to blame or call out to a higher power for assistance, the protagonist, the iconic condescending observer, understands how nature’s indifference to their circumstances will seal their fate.

Five Short Stories

• "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky”
• "Death and the Child”
• "A Great Mistake"
• "A Man and Some Others"
• "The Men in the Storm"

In these five unabridged short stories, Stephen Crane masterfully depicts the human condition. Through his keen observations of the simple, unnoticed aspects of life, he deftly describes man’s relationship to society, human nature, and the power of transformation. In each of the stories, he creatively reveals the internal battles, conflicts, and awakening that man collectively experiences. Grab your copy today to discover how he reveals man’s sense of dignity, optimism, grit, courage, and greed.