ABSTRACT
This paper will first classify the color images and animal images in The Red Badge of Courage, then attempts to analyze the symbolic meaning of these color images and animal images so as to express the feature of naturalism, reveal Crane’s conception toward war, human nature and existent condition. Thus a conclusion can be reached that The Red Badge of Courage represents the brutality, destructiveness，and meaninglessness of war, as well as human’s animal instinctive behavior driven by war. It is the use of technique of symbolism that contributes The Red Badge of Courage to be an epoch-making masterpiece in American history.
1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..1
2.Symbolism-A LiteraryTechnique…………………………………………………... 3
2.1Concept of the Term"Symbolism"……………………………………………………3
2.2The Red Badge of Courage--a Symbolic Novel…………………………………...…4
3. Typical Symbols in The Red Badge of Courage ………………………….………..5
3.1 Color Images……………………………………………………………….………...5
3.2 Animal Images…………………………………………………………………….....8
3.2.1The Classification of Animal Images……………………………………………………………8
3.2.2The Symbolic Meaning of Animal Images……………………………………………………...9
4.Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………...12
Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………14
References……………………………………………………………………………..15
