The Red Badge of Courage Lesson Plan

What events make Henry's self-respect vacillate so much in this section, and do you agree that his outlook should depend on the outcome of external events?

Strong answers will describe the things that influence and distort his feelings about running from the battle. These should include his conversations with other soldiers he runs into, his observation of soldiers running in different directions and his final reflection on the regiment he regroups with, and which seems to suspect nothing regarding his actions. They should note his feelings that a victory would make him look like a coward, while a defeat would make his decision, if found out at all, look normal. Students...