The Mapping Of Henry Fleming's Mind

The Red Badge of Courage is the masterpiece of a famous late 19^th century's American novelist, Stephen Crane. It traces how the protagonist, Henry Fleming, conquers his fear and cowardice and develops from innocence to maturity. This thesis, in a perspective of psychoanalysis, conducts a detailed analysis of how Henry solves his psychological conflicts with the defense mechanisms of the ego, including projection, regression, rationalization and compensation, to unconsciously adjust his mental state in order to protect himself from painful anxiety. Henry, eventually, finds out his true identity in life and achieves self-integration in personality. Besides the application of the Freudian personality theory, this thesis reveals Henry's psychological state influenced by the subjective representation in a certain situation with the use of imagery, and attempts to delineate the initiation journey of Henry. At last, in view of the character analysis of this novel, a conclusion is drawn: the use of the personality theory and the imagery is conducive to a full comprehension of the initiation theme, and to analyzing the moral and psychological life of the protagonist, enabling us to penetrate deeply into the delicate inner world of the character.