Henry Fleming, the main character, experiences events that arouse his fears as the warfare progresses. “He was afraid to make an open declaration of his concern, because he dreaded to place some unscrupulous confidant upon the high plane of the unconfessed from which elevation he could be derided.” (pg. 12) The first strife is about to begin and Fleming worries how he will perform. He fears he will not be the hero as he imagines himself to be. He is afraid to admit this feeling to other soldiers for the fear of being ridiculed and looked down upon. He tries to find comfort by speaking with other men, but none appear to have his

feelings of doubt and fear for the upcoming battle. He condemns himself with such thoughts of cowardice. All people want to be heroes, especially in war, but many get this feeling of fear that keeps them from revealing their true skills. Affected by the heat of the moment, many soldiers will run away to assure survival and safety, as did Henry.

Wilson also experiences fear of the oncoming battle, but he copes with the feeling differently from Henry. “‘It’s my first and last battle, old boy,’ said the latter, with intense gloom. He was quite pale and his girlish lip was trembling.” (pg. 26) Wilson is afraid of dying and believes he will die in this first battle. Although he believes for a fact he will die, he is still going to fight. When he gives Henry the letter, he is described as pale, girlish, and having a sob of pity for himself, showing his fear of death. Wilson ignores his fear of the war and gains the courage to continue fighting even if it means giving up his life. Most individuals have some level of fear in their lives. Many will run away from their fears like Henry, and numerous others like Wilson, will accept that fear, but continue to fight on.

At the end of the war, when Fleming recalls his moments fighting, he also recollects his guilt and failures. “Nevertheless, the ghost of his flight from the first engagement appeared to

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