A Mystery Of Heroism

The first half of the story is presented as a series of impressionistic scenes as the infantry soldiers stare at the sights that surround them. Crane’s literary style is highly metaphorical when describing these battle scenes. Yet Crane chooses not have the soldiers reflect on these scenes. Why does Crane hold back the soldiers’ thoughts on the devastation that surrounds them? What is the effect of such reticence?

The horses are described as “passive and dumb spectators” that must follow instructions, even when those instructions lead to “relentless and hideous carnage” (Paragraph 14). In what ways can the infantry soldiers be compared to the horses? In what other ways are the soldiers compared to animals?

The author does not provide insight into Private Fred Collins’s thoughts until halfway through the story. Even once the story focuses on Collins, only brief background information for Collins is given. What is the effect of this delayed and minimal characterization? Can the reader still determine whether Collins is a hero? How does Collins demonstrate the “mystery of heroism”?

Collins brings back the water to his men, after surviving death-defying odds. But in the final paragraph, the bucket of water is spilled. What is the symbolism of this final action?

Read Stephen Crane’s novel on the Civil War, The Red Badge of Courage, or some of Crane’s war poetry such as “Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind.” What similarities can be found between those texts and this short story? Focus especially on how the texts reevaluate traditional notions of “courage” and “heroism.”