thesis

Henry's faults are outweighed by his heroism and leadership.

• Even though Henry deserted his platoon he went to great lengths to make up for it. One of the ways that he did this is buy capturing the enemy's flag. He also picked up his own when it had fallen. By picking up his platoons flag it showed that he was willing to die for what he and his platoon stood for.And when he took the enemy's flag away he took their pride. "With this terrible grin of resolution he hugged his precious flag to him and was stumbling and staggering in his design to go the way that led to safety for it"(Crane 23).
  
• In the same fight when the enemy gave one last hard push. Henry was one of the few who stayed and held their ground. This showed bravery and if he had not fended off the enemy then many other fellow soldiers would have lost their lives."He plunged like a mad horse at it. He was resolved it should not escape if wild blows and darings of blows could seize it. His own emblem, quivering and aflare, was winging toward the other. It seemed there would shortly be an encounter of strange beaks and claws, as of eagles"(Crane 23). This is the part of the book when Henry starts to realize what he has to do and knows he can do it.
• The last reason is that he recognized what he did was wrong.He knew he made some bad choices but in the end he did what was right he used his experiences and his trials to direct him in the right path for the future. This quote is when he is done with battle and has time to think about his time in war and reflect on his experience."Yet gradually he mustered force to put the sin at a distance. And at last his eyes seemed to open to some new ways. He found that he could look back upon the brass and bombast of his earlier gospels and see them truly. He was gleeful when he discovered that he now despised them.With this conviction came a store of assurance. He felt a quiet manhood, nonassertive but of sturdy and strong blood. He knew that he would no more quail before his guides wherever they should point. He had been to touch the great death, and found that, after all, it was but the great death. He was a man" (Crane 24).