Thesis!

Henry is a soldier who cares about himself more than others.
• The first way Henry opted to be selfish is when he and the tattered man were talking. The tattered man was asking Henry many questions asking about where his wounds were and Henry didn’t have an answer for him. “‘Where is it located?" But he continued his harangue without waiting for a reply.” (Crane 10.22) “Where it’s located” is referring to where his wound is. While being asked the question Henry couldn’t tolerate being with the tattered soldier because he knew that he didn’t fight in battle. Henry didn’t fight in the battle because he was scared and didn’t want to sacrifice his own life. With Henry being selfish he left the tattered man to be on his own because he was jealous of the tattered mans wound and since Henry didn’t have one he didn’t want to help him. So Henry left him to wonder nonchalantly in an open field.
• Towards the end of the book the man who was carrying the U.S flag got shot. Henry and Wilson had picked it up, and Henry felt as though he should be the one to carry it, so he shoved Wilson out of his way. The youth and his friend had a small scuffle over the flag. “‘Give it t' me!" "No, let me keep it!" Each felt satisfied with the other's possession of it, but each felt bound to declare, by an offer to carry the emblem, his willingness to further risk himself. The youth roughly pushed his friend away.’” (Crane 20.3) As you can tell in this quote Henry was very forceful by telling and pushing Wilson away selfishly. All Henry wanted was to be seen as one of the best soldiers there were. Each also felt that if they carried it showed that they sacrificed more for their country because the flag carrier was very important. If Henry didn’t care about himself only he wouldn’t have pushed one of his best friends away from him and would’ve considered letting him take it.
• Henry only cared about himself when he lied to Wilson about his head injury. Henry lied to his best friend and said he got shot in the head by a gun during battle when really he got hit with the butt of a rifle. If Henry would have just let go the first time the man asked him to he would have never had to lie to Wilson or get hit in the head. “‘If Over on th' right, I got shot. In th' head. I never see sech fightin'. Awful time. I don't see how I could a' got separated from th' reg'ment. I got shot, too.’"(Crane 13.8) This quote is evidence that Henry lied, and only wanted to lie so that he could fit in with the rest of the soldiers. Not caring what Wilson thought he took advantage of him, and Wilson took care of Henry by catering him. If Henry wouldn’t have been so self-centered and worried about fitting in with the other soldiers he would have told his friend the truth about what really happened.