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The Little Regiment By Stephen Crane Analysis

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“The Little Regiment” written by naturalist Stephen Crane in 1896, is an American Civil War short story. This American author is well known for his descriptive, figurative and sensory language use. Language he uses in the story impacts meaning, evokes emotion and overall develops the theme. The story follows a military regiment during the American Civil war and the protagonists of the story are two brothers named Billie and Dan. The brothers argue all the time and they seem to despise each other, yet they protect each other and secretly care for each other’s well being. This story is very much about being human and doing what you have to do to survive, in the soldiers’ sense, kill. Descriptive language in the story really establishes character, setting and tone. “The men swore piously at the rain, which drizzled upon them, compelling them to stand always very erect in fear …show more content…

Because of this strategic use of language, you feel like you’re experiencing everything you’re reading. “The enclouded air vibrated with noises made by hidden colossal things. The infantry tramplings, the heavy rumbling of the artillery, made the earth speak of gigantic preparation. Guns on distant heights thundered from time to time with sudden, nervous roar, as if unable to endure in silence a knowledge of hostile troops massing, other guns going to position”. This particular quote appeals to the readers’ sense of hearing and there's a lot of tension and anxiety found in this passage. The soldiers know that the inevitable battle is approaching but the enemy is hidden from sight yet is revealed to them through the sounds of war. The use of the word “gun” could also be used figuratively to refer to a soldier. The phrase “…made the earth speak of gigantic preparation…” is an example of personification- by giving the earth human qualities, Crane establishes the land itself as another character in the

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