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Henry Fleming, the protagonist, in The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane undergoes a process of maturation that is both physical and emotional. We are first introduced to Fleming by description only, not by name: “the youthful private” and “the youth”. His desire to enlist is based on youthful innocence. “He had, of course, dreamed of battles all of his life- of vague and bloody conflicts that had thrilled him with their sweep and fire.” Henry had read in school about ancient warriors, and even though he knows such battles no longer exist, he dreams of being a hero. It is this immaturity that causes him to be disappointed when his mother sends him off with a speech about knitting him socks and not one about his impending heroism. He innocently thinks that he will fight the whole war by himself. Henry quickly learns that his enlistment in the 304th Regiment New York is not like the storybook tales he has read. Initially Henry is eager for battle so that he can prove to himself that he really