Crane’s depiction of death is natural and an inevitable part of life. This makes the war seem animalistic and primitive. This can be seen when Henry finds the decomposing body of a fellow soldier in the woods. There are ants devouring the corpse, symbolizing the guilt that would devour Henry if he did not return and fight. Jim’s death shocked and horrified Henry, as it does the reader. Crane uses death to link the reader with Henry, as we all have experienced death in one form or another. The reader needs this sort of link with the cowardly Henry in order to understand his actions. By showing us this animal-like death, it poses the question “What would you have truely done if you were in Henry’s position?” Would you have bravely stayed and fought, surrounded by a haze of death, or would you have followed your instincts and high-tailed it out of there? By showing death as primal and animal-like, it makes us realize that Henry’s so called “cowardice” was also mearly primal and animal-like instinct. Humans, being primarily prey creatures for animals like lions and tigers, have developed a fight or flight response; that is, if given an escape route, we will flee, and when backed into a corner we will fight.
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