The themes of duty and honor come to the fore in this chapter. The men are tired, hungry, and thirsty, yet when their unit is called up to do battle, Crane tells the reader that “the emaciated regiment bustled forth with undiminished fierceness.” The troops, on both sides, achieve honor by their continued willingness to do battle even when objectives are unclear, supplies are low, wounds are matter-of-fact, and death, whether painfully slow or mercifully quick, is a reality for each soldier in the battle. Duty and honor are the products of courage. The troops fighting in this war on both sides show unbelievable courage.
Henry initially embraced the Greek ideal of dying in battle as a part of his romantic view of war—as seen in his talk with his mother about enlisting. However, as he experiences war, he matures. The romanticizing Henry transforms into a realistic Henry—first as he overcomes his fear in his first battle, then as he runs from his second battle, next, as he leads a charge against the enemy, and finally, as flag bearer, as he watches his comrades dying, and he wishes to honor them and, at the same time, to gain revenge on the name-calling general by leaving “his dead body lying, torn and gluttering, upon the field.”
Henry’s wish is one of a veteran soldier, a wish that has moved Henry beyond his selfish, romantic view of dying in battle for personal glory to an understanding that death, whether in support of a cause or in support of comrades, isn’t to be feared, but, in fact, is to be accepted—as an act of love. This shows a mature Henry, a selfless, veteran who is a product of war experiences which have moved him to a level of maturity well beyond his chronological age. Henry is no longer a selfish, fearful rookie; he is now a confident, veteran team player.
