Thesis

In Henry's mind he thinks not of the consequences nor stands up for himself but stays back like a face in a crowd.


"As he looked the youth gripped his outcry at his throat. He saw that even if the men were tottering with fear they would laugh at his warning. They would jeer him, and, if practicable, pelt him with missiles. Admitting that he might be wrong, a frenzied declamation of the kind would turn him into a worm." (Crane 3) In this paragraph Henry thinks he must break from the ranks and harangue his comrades so they wont all be killed like pigs if he didn't warn them from the dangers, but as in this he thinks they will all just laugh at him and make fun of him, but if he should of told them about the dangers, because every little suggestion or warning could be a turning point in the war, but he only thought of the worse case scenario and remained silent.

"The youth achieved one little thought in the midst of this chaos. The composite monster which had caused the other troops to flee had not then appeared. He resolved to get a view of it, and then, he thought he might very likely run better than the best of them." (Crane 4) In this paragraph Henry is starting to get worried, as the regiment is fighting some of t he regiment starts to retreat and run back, and it gives Henry a sense of thought that it is ok to run, which isn't totally his fault, but he is in a mix of weather to run or weather to stay and fight, and feels that it is ok to run, but doesn't think about how much he is hurting his regiment and fighting back.

"He had fled, he told himself, because annihilation approached. He had done a good part in saving himself, who was a little piece of the army. He had considered the time, he said, to be one in which is was the duty of every little piece to rescue itself if possible." (crane 7) In this paragraph Henry deciedes to run, thinking of saving only himself and being self centered, Henry does the wrong thing and thinking that he didn't mean much to the regiment or even the army, but everyone really matters in the war, one person could change it all, but instead of fighting he decides to take the wrong road and flees, also hoping that the regiment would be happy because he would still be alive, which they would but also discourage him for running.