Illustration of Henry Fleming in a soldier's uniform in front of a confederate flag and an American flag

The Red Badge of Courage

by Stephen Crane

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In the Red Badge of Courage, chapter 5, what does the author mean when he talks about "war atmosphere"?

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The quote from that chapter is:

Presently he began to feel the effects of the war atmosphere--a blistering sweat, a sensation that his eyeballs were about to crack like hot stones. A burning roar filled his ears.

The war atmosphere refers to both the physical atmosphere of a war-- loud noises, smoke from rifles, etc. and also the mental state one can be in during a war where the entire mind and body are consumed with the rage and terror of war.

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