Read this when
The Red Badge of Courage
Henry ran from his first battle, then let everyone think his head wound was heroic. The most honest book about faking courage is from 1895.
Who it's for
Crane stays almost entirely inside Henry Fleming's head, so the reader experiences his dread before battle, the animal panic that makes him run, and the frantic self-justifications afterwards as they happen.
Feelings it meets
What it is
The Red Badge of Courage is an 1895 war novel by Stephen Crane about Henry Fleming, a young private in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Having enlisted with romantic ideas of glory, Henry is overwhelmed by fear in battle and flees, then struggles with shame and longs for a wound that would prove his courage.
Where to find it
Public domain in the US; free on Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks, with free LibriVox audiobooks. Widely in print and in libraries.
Before you start
Heads up: Battle violence and a slow death.
Age: Ages 12+
Praise shames me, for I secretly beg for it.Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds, no. 207
Also for shame
Radical Acceptance: Chapter 1, The Trance of UnworthinessBook chapter · 2003
Daring Greatly: Chapter 3, Understanding and Combating ShameBook chapter · 2012
How I beat stage fright | Joe KowanVideo · 2013
Here's the real reason you procrastinate | Fuschia Sirois | TEDxNewcastleVideo · 2022
The lethality of loneliness: John Cacioppo at TEDxDesMoinesVideo · 2013
Our dangerous obsession with perfectionism is getting worse | Thomas CurranVideo · 2018