The novel is organized into many short chapters, which creates the impression that the reader is looking at a series of snapshots in a photo album. This technique works most effectively in the chapters which relate to battlefield action; the short chapters highlight the interactions between the soldiers and their environment. The short chapters allow the reader to enter Henry's mind and become part of Henry's mental debate.
In Chapter 1 of The Red Badge of Courage, Henry is totally immersed in his own thoughts. As he waits for war, he daydreams about his home, his farm, and the conversation he had had with his mother. By staging the first chapter of the book almost exclusively in Henry's thoughts, Crane sets the stage for Henry's mental transition throughout the book. His initial mental state is one of excitement and unrealistic thoughts of glory. Henry is a dreamer; boys dream; a youth does not think of death — especially the possibility of his own death.
In Chapter 2, Henry begins to interact with the other soldiers in the regiment. Crane shows Henry listening to his comrades discussing the enemy and the battles to come. Henry, the inexperienced youth, can't judge how much truth is in the veterans' tales. This lack of knowledge contributes to his fear, which he internalizes completely, leaving him isolated from the other men. Henry's isolation allows Crane to focus on Henry's mental transition throughout the book; rarely does the story diverge from Henry's thoughts or actions.
