What theme does Stephen Crane explore in "An Episode of War"?

a. the beauty of suffering

b. the courage of officers in battle

c. the cruel reality of war

d. the honor of the average soldier

The correct answer is letter C.

The central theme of Stephen Crane's work is about the cruelty of war. It talked about characters that were unable to exercise free will because their actions were forced by the circumstances presented to them during the war. Human suffering was an apparent situation that Crane emphasized in his work.