American Literature- "Fred Collins: Fool or Hero?" To characterize Crane's character, Collins as a "Fool" or a "Hero" is a difficult thing to decide. Was he foolish for going out into the barrage of bullets or a hero for giving the wounded artillery officer a drink (and a bath)? To characterize him as one or the other is asking to define what a hero is? Is it someone you look up to, someone you idealize, …showed first 75 words of 362 total…

…showed last 75 words of 362 total…pride, then selflessly giving it to someone who was dying. Does that make him a hero or a fool? Collins left to get water and came back empty handed, or did he? By stopping to give the man a drink did he show the aspects of what some people believe to be a hero? Did he come back with something more? In my opinion young Collins left a fool but returned a hero. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**