Anticipating Harmony

Stephen Crane (1871-1900), one of the most distinguished American novelists in the nineteenth century, makes indelible contributions to the development of American literature. He leaves us a large number of important works within his short life. The Red Badge of Courage, one of his masterpieces published in 1895, is acknowledged as one of the classical works of American literature. This novel has been widely researched by academia since its publication. These studies pay attention to interpreting the hint of naturalism, impressionism, realism, symbolism or the related themes of the novel. But scanty study has been carried out from ecological ethics perspective. Accordingly, this thesis attempts to observe and study the novel from ecological ethics perspective based on the existent researches and excavate the thematic meanings concerned with nature, society and self with the aim to comprehend the abundant thought of Crane and his works from a new angle.Since its emergen in England and America in the 1990s, ecocriticism has become a type of literary critical school, which rapidly comes into academia's concerns. Ecological ethics is a moral theory about the relationship between man and nature. It is a kind of ethics which conducts how people regard ecological value, how people harmoniously coexist with biological tribes, and how people adjust the relationship between man and environment. As an observant and thoughtful naturalist writer, Stephen Crane reveals his ethical consideration of nature, society and self in The Red Badge of Courage. This thesis attempts to observe the thematic meanings concerned with the three elements embedded in The Red Badge of Courage. From the angle of natural ecology, Chapter one examines Crane's description of nature as an indifferent and hostile nonhuman backdrop, in which human beings struggle aimlessly like animals and anonymous monsters. Such kind of nonhuman nature exposes the survival plight and ecological crisis in the western society in the late 19th century. But the description of harmonious nature and Henry Fleming's speculation for harmonious nature at the end of the novel conveys Crane's anticipation of human nature, and this harmonious human nature symbolizes American people's confidence in future life and aspiration for harmonious ecosphere. From the angle of social ecology, Chapter two begins with the analysis of Henry Fleming's confidence to join the army in contrast with the chaos, conflicts, isolation and perplexity which he senses in the army. The thesis points out that the chaos and conflict Henry Fleming experiences and witnesses in the army reflect the social conflict and ecological crisis of his times. In the isolated and helpless battle, Henry Fleming produces a strong desire for brotherhood and acquires the brotherhood at last. Such kind of harmonious brotherhood symbolizes American people's best wishes for a harmonious interpersonal relationship and a balanced ecology. Chapter Three, from the angle of spiritual ecology, holds that Henry Fleming tramps and wanders like a lost self in a spiritual wasteland in his course of chasing the fantastic heroic dream. Though he obtains a fake badge in an absurd way, he cannot get rid of the sense of self-separation. After painful reflections, Henry Fleming gains his self-integrity. In the course when Fleming transformasion from self-separation to self-integrity, Stephen Crane displays his opinion that heroism lies in the ordinary actions and human beings'harmonious self-integrity depends on the balance of ecology and the tolerance and acceptation of others.Conclusively, the thesis concludes that The Red Badge of Courage is not only an anti-war novel, but also an ethical novel. Crane uses nature, society and self to reflect the ecological ethical situation in the industrial western world and powerfully criticize the environmental determinism, environmental utilitarianism, militarism, hegemonism and individualism prevailing in the western society. At the same time, he expresses his earnest yearning for a harmonious nature, a harmonious society and a harmonious self. Such thoughts are still of enlightening significance to the contemporary civilized society.