In The Red Badge of Courage, Crane explores the universal themes of fear and isolation that are inherent in war, which is why he deliberately avoids specific references to the Civil War. While the battle is likely based on Chancellorsville, neither its name nor the names of the generals involved are mentioned. Few characters are given names or distinct identities, and Henry is frequently referred to simply as "the youth." Crane is uninterested in the war's causes, the implications of slavery, military strategies, or the battle's outcome. For the narrative's purposes, it doesn't matter that this is set during the American Civil War or that thirty thousand soldiers died in the real Battle of Chancellorsville.