The Red Badge of Courage Group

Question:

whitefamily5
whitefamily5

What sentence in the first half of the book, "The Red Badge of Courage", shows an allusion?

This is for an English class.

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Posted by whitefamily5 on Thursday October 15, 2009 at 7:00 PM and tagged with example of allusion, the red badge of courage.

Answers:

  1. ask996
    ask996 Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The very title of the novel, The Red Badge of Courage is an allusion. This is a reference to a battle wound, and it is significant in that Henry feels guilty that he chooses to flee the battle and he has no wound. He has left simply from fear. This is further emphasized through his interaction with Jim, as Jim is wounded and he isn’t. Ironically Henry does receive his “Red Badge of Courage” when he is accosted by another runaway soldier.

    A more dramatic allusion would be, “The red sun was pasted in the sky like a wafer.” This is more than likely a reference to a communion wafer which is presented in the Christian faith as a means of cleansing of sins and salvation.

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    Posted by ask996 on Sunday October 18, 2009 at 9:36 AM