The Red Badge of Courage: Chapters 6–11

by Stephen Crane
Henry Fleming is a young Union private during the Civil War. After fleeing from battle, he'll do anything for a second chance to prove his bravery.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–11, Chapters 12–18, Chapters 19–24

Here is a link to The Open Boat by Stephen Crane.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. discern
    perceive, recognize, or detect
    He discerned forms begin to swell in masses out of a distant wood.
  2. countenance
    the appearance conveyed by a person's face
    Their smudged countenances now expressed a profound dejection.
  3. doleful
    filled with or evoking sadness
    There was one who raised a doleful cry.
  4. resplendent
    having great beauty
    The flag was sometimes eaten and lost in this mass of vapor, but more often it projected, sun touched, resplendent.
  5. exalted
    of high moral or intellectual value
    A lad whose face had borne an expression of exalted courage, the majesty of he who dares give his life, was, at an instant, smitten abject.
  6. impending
    close in time; about to occur
    The men there seemed to be in conventional moods, altogether unaware of the impending annihilation.
  7. maniacal
    wildly disordered
    An officer on a bounding horse made maniacal motions with his arms.
  8. commendable
    worthy of high praise
    It was all plain that he had proceeded according to very correct and commendable rules.
  9. enlightened
    having knowledge and spiritual insight
    He, the enlightened man who looks afar in the dark, had fled because of his superior perceptions and knowledge.
  10. tumult
    a state of commotion and noise and confusion
    He shambled along with bowed head, his brain in a tumult of agony and despair.
  11. trepidation
    a feeling of alarm or dread
    High in a treetop he stopped, and, poking his head cautiously from behind a branch, looked down with an air of trepidation.
  12. perfunctory
    as a formality only
    It suddenly occurred to the youth that the fight in which he had been was, after all, but perfunctory popping.
  13. compunction
    a feeling of deep regret, usually for some misdeed
    He of course felt no compunctions for proposing a general as a sacrifice.
  14. despicable
    morally reprehensible
    With his heart continually assuring him that he was despicable, he could not exist without making it, through his actions, apparent to all men.
  15. derisive
    expressing contempt or ridicule
    Then, as if the heads were moved by one muscle, all the faces were turned toward him with wide, derisive grins.
Created on Mon Feb 11 14:42:45 EST 2013 (updated Tue Aug 05 15:57:30 EDT 2025)

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