Question

The following question references the novel The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane.

In Chapter 7, Crane writes "He threw a pinecone at a jovial squirrel, and he [the squirrel] ran with chattering fear." What telling event had just happened before this scene? Why did Henry feel relief when the squirrel ran up into the tree to escape the threat?

Answer 1

In Chapter 7 of The Red Badge of Courage, the soldiers in the story have just passed by the child protagonist before the squirrel scene. Henry feels relief when the squirrel runs up into the tree because it means he is no longer in immediate danger.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Chapter 7 of The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, the telling event that had just happened before the squirrel scene is not explicitly mentioned in the given passage. However, based on the context, it can be inferred that the soldiers in the story, who were retreating from a battle, had passed by the child protagonist without noticing him. The relief Henry feels when the squirrel runs up into the tree to escape the threat is because it signifies that he is no longer in immediate danger and can continue on his own.