Question

Crane wrote The Red Badge of Courage to convey the reality of war and its impact on humans rather than to glorify it. At times, he conveys a mocking attitude toward the subject. Which quotations from the text help to convey Crane's tone? 1) "A shell screaming like a storm banshee went over the huddled heads of the reserves." 2) It was surprising that Nature had gone tranquilly on with her golden process in the midst of so much devilment. 3) "During this halt many men in the regiment began erecting tiny hills in front of them. They used stones, sticks, earth, and anything they thought might turn a bullet." 4) "They were always busy as boos, deeply absorbed in their little combats."

Answer 1

Stephen Crane uses a mocking tone in his depiction of war in 'The Red Badge of Courage', particularly through the use of irony and understatement in certain quotations that highlight the indifference of nature and war to the plight of soldiers.

Step-by-step explanation:

Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage presents a realistic and often harsh portrayal of war, which avoids glorifying combat and instead focuses on its impact on individuals. The quotations provided all contribute to this tone, but particularly:

• “It was surprising that Nature had gone tranquilly on with her golden process in the midst of so much devilment.”
• “During this halt many men in the regiment began erecting tiny hills in front of them...and anything they thought might turn a bullet.”
• “They were always busy as boos, deeply absorbed in their little combats.”

These quotes illustrate Crane's use of irony and understatement to mock the triviality of the soldiers' actions in the face of the grandeur of nature (2) and the indifference of the war to their small, desperate efforts to survive (3, 4).