Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Living… with his mother until recently. Henry’s loving mother has always been supportive, willing to knit her son “eight pairs of socks.” But she has taken poorly to his decision to go off to fight in the Union Army. Still, she ultimately resigns herself to his decision, trying to support him while feverishly praying for his safety.
Profession… private in the 304th New York Regiment where he is ordered to march straight into battle time and again. Henry didn’t know what he was getting into when he happily went off to war. But now that he’s among the explosions and “clatter of musketry,” he understands what warfare is truly about, and he’s starting to doubt if he's up to the challenge.
Relationship Status… single. Henry is more concerned with staying alive than finding a girlfriend.
Challenge… overcoming his fears. Henry joined the war with hopes of being a hero, but so far he is far from that. The only courage he has shown is having the guts to run away from battle. However, his initial cowardice makes him all the more determined to prove that he can measure up to the rest of his regiment.
Personality… innocent, sensitive, and insecure. Only eighteen, Henry is still unsure of himself, but he's eager to find out. On the battlefield, he will soon learn what kind of man he is: the type to bear scars like crosses, or the type to run when death looks him in the eye.
Get to Know him in...
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Truncated adaptation of Stephen Crane's novel about a Civil War Union soldier who stuggles to find the courage to fight in the heat of battle.
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Henry Fleming dreams of the thrill of battle and performing heroic deeds in the American Civil War. But his illusions are shattered when he comes face to face with the bloodshed and horrors of war. Now he's a raw recruit, Henry experiences both fear and self-doubt. Will war make Henry a coward or a hero? A vivid fictionalised account of the experiences of an ordinary innocent young soldier on the battlefields of the American Civil War, introduced by American writer, illustrator and historian, Wendell Minor.
