Henry Fleming
The protagonist. A young, self-absorbed farm boy who enlists for glory, runs from his first real test, and spends the novel trying to reconcile who he thought he was with what he actually did. His growth is real but incomplete.
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Characters
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Contents
Characters
Who matters and what they help you prove.
Jim Conklin
Henry's steady, reliable friend. Jim does not romanticize war. He fights, gets wounded, and dies in a scene that is more disturbing than heroic. His death is the novel's emotional center.
Wilson
Henry's other close friend, initially loud and boastful. After combat, Wilson becomes quiet and dependable. He is the foil who shows what genuine change looks like, making Henry's self-congratulation look suspect by comparison.
The Tattered Soldier
A wounded stranger who keeps asking Henry where he is hurt. Henry cannot answer honestly and eventually abandons him. The tattered soldier represents the guilt Henry cannot face directly.
Henry's Mother
She appears only briefly at the start, but her practical, unsentimental advice sets the tone. She does not feed Henry's fantasies. Her realism contrasts sharply with the romantic ideas Henry carries into battle.
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