Portrayal of the Enemy

As the common saying states, "history is determined by who writes it." The same can be said about all war literature. Because all humans have predispositions and unique experiences, they all will have different opinions regarding specific battles and entire wars even if they are not direct participants in battle. Even the most unbiased sources have inherent bias. Therefore, all literature about war is told from a specific perspective.

What I found interesting over this weekend is the portrayal of the enemy in modern films. Specifically, I examined how different countries with different types of governments portrayed the enemy forces. My findings accorded with my initial conceptions.

I compared how the Japanese in the American film "Pearl Harbor" was portrayed compared with how they were portrayed in the Chinese film "Battle of the Yalu River." In the 2001 Michael Bay film, the Japanese were portrayed with great dignity and honor. Although the film was obviously told from the perspective of the United States and almost the entire film is seen through the Americans eyes, during the scenes that show the Japanese, the audience is allowed to experience what they were feeling. Their military forces are seen as equal and even superior to the American counter parts in the movie and their commanders are portrayed with great courage. In truth, the Japanese won a great victory on December 7, 1941, at the movies showed that without bias. Although the audience is meant to experience patriotism and great sadness at the national tragedy, enough time is given to the Japanese, allowing the audience to also see the event from their point of view.

The same could not be said about the Chinese film. In this film, the Japanese are never shown on screen and it is obvious that not much time and effort was put into accurately portraying the Japanese fleet. The Chinese ships are seen as majestic hulks while the Japanese ships seem very shoddily made in the film. The film makes very feel that it is very ironic that the Chinese lost the battle. In reality, the Japanese ships were much more powerful that its Chinese counterparts. The defeat of the Chinese is not even shown clearly, as the attention is focused on a superior Chinese gunner who scores numerous hits on the Japanese flagship. Completely changing history, the film states that the Chinese ship ran out of ammunition and was sunk, but in reality, it was just outgunned and outmaneuvered. This movie is completely biased toward the Chinese and doesn't even portray the Japanese as a noble enemy.

Upon further reflection, the differences in portrayal of the enemy stems from the two different types of government in the United States and China. The USA has a free society with a government ruled by democracy. Impartiality is essential, so this quality is reflected in culture in films and other media. However, Chinese is ruled by a communist government and much effort is given to shape its people's thoughts. Therefore propaganda is important and films will also reflect such an inclination.

The Red Badge of Courage: Ch. 22-24

Armed with new self-confidence, Henry is full of energy as he prepares for what is the final battle described in the book. Henry is still angry at the officers who described his regiment as a group of "mule drivers." In this case, Henry is describing what he believes is a hypocrisy. The officers decide to send the men of the 304th regiment into a dangerous battle but also insults the men, which suggests that they are not skilled fighters. It would be very unwise to send these "unskilled" soldiers into an important battle. In the heat of the decisive battle for both the Union and Henry himself, the latter carries the flag valiantly. He is also completely caught in the moment that he cannot even sense what is happening around him. This exemplifies an unwavering concentration that no one would have thought would characterize Henry during his initial experiences in combat. Henry's actions before were completely dictated with superfluous thought and contemplation. His motivations were all determined by reason and logic. However, now Henry has the characterises of a good soldier. He acts on impulse and allows feelings and emotions to control his actions. Focused solely on winning the battle, Henry does not notice the men dying around him and the weakness of the regiment after so many men fall. When Henry finally notices, he only further strengthens his confidence by disregarding death. Death would only be Karma for the officers because they sent the regiment into the charge.

All seems lost as Henry's regiment rapidly shrinks. However, in a final burst of effort, the union troops burst through the confederate defenses. In a symbolic event, Wilson retrieves the enemy's flag from a dying soldier. this both signifies the victory of the Union troops and Wilson and Henry's victory over their initial fears. Henry reflects back on his actions in this and previous battles. Although he still criticises his "cowardly" actions from previous engagements, Henry is satisfied at his accomplishment in recent battles in which he exhibited the courage that he has so coveted since joining the Union Army. The weather plays an important role near the end of the story as Henry ponders. It is raining hard when Henry's mind is in conflict, but when he sees a glimmer of hope and imagines a utopian-like society, one ray of sunshine appears signifying the possibility of such a life for Henry after the war is over.

Throughout this novel, Stephen Crane portrays war in a neutral light. Unlike the blatantly negative portrayal of World War II by Joseph Heller, Crane expresses both the horrors of war and the glory that is possible during battle. The author believes that people who have not been involved in combat before usually have a overly positive stance on war but in reality this is a very romantic image. War is hard and death omnipresent and gruesome instead of honorable. However, war also allow people to gain courage through combat. The main character, Henry, is one who changes tremendously over the course of a few battles. At the end of the book, after Henry had won a decisive battle, he is proud of his actions. However, in his initial engagements, Henry was fearful of his life and decided to run instead of fight, a decision that he greatly regrets even after he gained his "courage."

The Red Badge of Courage: Ch. 20-21

Henry not only gains confidence but also a great ability to lead and inspire confidence in others. The confederate troops, greatly outnumbering and seemingly outmaneuvering the union troops faced a tough 304th regiment that would not retreat because of Henry. Henry bears the flag, which represent all the glory that the regiment stands for and bears it with confidence. He urges the other men to fight even though hope seems to have been lost. Still guided by anger, Henry desperately convinces himself that even if the enemy is destined to win the battle, he would make sure that they do not have an easy fight. Before, Henry had always contemplated and allowed reason to guide him. Now, purely guided by impulse, Henry is showing true courage in battle. Everything that happens in battle happens very quickly. There is no time to think. Rather, a solider just needs to be able to trust his instincts and just react not in order to be a hero but just to survive. This point is conveyed clearly by Henry's actions and corresponding motivations. When the regiment successfully holds back the Confederates, Henry and Wilson are exhilarated. The negativity that had surrounded the war within the two soldiers seem to have disappeared and a revitalized belief in glory is born. It is suggested that maybe the glory that the Ancient Greeks had acquired in battle was not just a myth but actually attainable by mortal men.

Anger seems to have taken a very important role in battle. I had not thought of emotions in this way before. I believed that battle caused emotions to run high, but it seems that this goes the opposite way too. Emotions can also drive the course of a battle. Emotions are natural human impulses that are felt very quickly unlike reason with takes a long period of time to comprehend. They can not only give armies an edge in the fighting, but also ultimately determine the victor of entire wars. I guess the saying "who wants it more" is not completely false. There is some truth to it when dealing with emotions and their effect on high stakes battles. Emotions, however, need to be collective in order for a whole army to gain an upper hand in battle.

The Red Badge of Courage: Ch. 17-19

There is a huge and unexpected shift in Henry's character in Chapter 17. Henry and other Union soldiers wait impatiently for the confederate troops to arrive. It seems that out of nowhere, Henry gains a tremendous will to fight. When the enemy swarms the field, Henry continuing fires and reloads without regard to anything that is happening around him. He is completely focused in shooting the enemy men without regard for his own life. Guided completely by anger, Henry doesn't even stop shooting well after the confederate troops retreat. Inadvertently, Henry becomes the heroic figure that he had wanted to be without even noticing. The fit of anger that guided him like a wild beast had very mysterious sources, but nevertheless gives Henry the image of a hero on the battlefield. At the end of the chapter, the weather clears and the sun shines, symbolizing the clear and resolute heart that Henry has developed in the course of the day.

The insult that Wilson and Henry's superiors only further increases the resolution within the two men, especially Henry. As their regiment, the 304th, charges in to battle, Henry is filled with pride. He sees their flag bearer killed and he and Wilson are the ones who picks it up and continues to charge. This action solidifies Henry's courage, something that only a day before, he was completely devoid of. Carrying the weight of the whole battle and figuratively, the entire union, in his hand, Henry charges valiantly forward against the Confederate troops. Henry's character changes dramatically in his second day of major combat. He had tried so hard to force himself to attain glory and courage before but failed miserably. However, guided by natural emotions, most predominantly anger, Henry is able to exhibit tremendous bravery.

The Red Badge of Courage: Ch. 15-16

Henry is in possession of an envelop that Wilson had told the former to keep in case Wilson was killed in action. He instructed Henry to deliver the envelop to Wilson's family. How, after having survived the initial battle, Henry ponders giving it back, but his feelings of pride and and necessity for self-assurance assert themselves. The envelop, which represents Wilson's weakness, gives Henry the assurance that he needs. It seems to represent his courage as he now does not hold any more fear. Although this could be the result of idealism asserting itself when Henry is not caught in battle, Henry seems to nevertheless gain confidence about himself. Ironically, he even justifies his retreated and dignified while that of the other men as cowardly even though only a day ago, Henry was the one feeling like a coward. When Wilson asks for his envelope back, Henry complies, but he still has the self-confidence that it has brought him. Henry, at this point feels better than his comrade Wilson, even though Wilson indirectly gave him his confidence.

When Henry and a group of soldiers are led to another battle, this confidence again wanes in Henry. It seems that Henry's constant struggle between courage and cowardice is completely dictated by his situation. This suggests that Henry does not truly possess any courage because to be courageous means to be strong regardless of the situation. Henry blames his superiors again for they lack of leadership ability to win battles, but is silenced by another soldier because he suddenly realizes that his "dishonorable" retreat from the battlefield might be revealed.

The Red Badge of Courage: Ch. 13-14

Still worried that he would be labeled as a coward, Henry walks gingerly toward his camp but is greatly startled when another soldier, Wilson, tells him to stop. It is here that the reader is informed that Henry actually did sustain a wound, a minor graze to the head, but still a wound. This suggests that throughout the day's events, Henry was so worried about his initial retreat that he didn't even pay too much attention to his wound. Ironically, it was a fear for his life and well being that caused him to retreat from the front lines. Although the injury was small, it was to the head, a very important are of the body. This suggests that Henry did after all receive a red badge of courage from his time in action that day. After being removed from the thick of battle, Henry finally calms down and attains a sense of self security again when Wilson tends to his wound.

Due to both physical and mental exhaustion, Henry feels terrible when he wakes up the next morning to fighting in the distance. The day is described as gloomy and misty, creating a dark mood and perhaps foreshadowing unfortunate events that are to take place that day in battle. Henry had acquired the lingering feeling of death the day before when he encountered the group of severely wounded soldiers in the field, and this feeling continues to haunt him. Being one of the first people to wake up, Henry sees all his comrades asleep and sees them all as corpses. Only when they rise does the entity of death temporarily leave the air around Henry's surroundings.

The Red Badge of Courage: Ch. 11-12

These chapter's delve deeper into Henry Flemming's internal conflict. Henry is still feeling tremendously guilty about retreating earlier from battle. After the ordeal with the group of wounded soldiers including one of his good friends, Henry witnesses a proud column of soldiers as they march into the battle. This sight very briefly give Henry true courage, but it arose inside him from impulse. Henry almost runs toward the front lines himself, but gives it a thought and decides not to go. Impulse pushed Henry to go, but reason held him back since he was in pain and both hungry and thirsty from the battle. In this bout of inner conflict, Henry's reason prevailed and consequently deprives him of the true courage that he so desperately wants on this occasion. This rationalization is very similar to an idea about human nature in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Hamlet is prevented from acting because of indecisiveness caused by contemplation. In a very famous speech, Hamlet states that too much though weakens the human resolve. Henry Flemming was resolved to charge with who he perceived as valiant soldiers, but after thinking and weighing the consequences and benefits, he decides to stay back and watch instead of risking his life on the front lines.

After deciding to stay behind to watch the battle, Henry again feels guilty about not entering the conflict because he believes that yet another opportunity to prove his courage has slipped him by. He tries to justify his actions with a fabricated excuse but cannot ultimately come up with one, a fact that greatly disturbs him. He even goes as far as to hope that his army looses the battle so that he can convince himself that he is clairvoyant and able to predict the futile attempt to the win the battle. However, he only further feels guilt, which causes him to believe that his comrads will equate his name with the word coward.