Stephen Crane(Stephen Crane,1871-1900),a famous American novelist and poet.The Red Badge of Courage,his masterwork,published in book form in 1895,has been widely acknowledged as a classic in American literary history.In most cases,symbolism is considered to be a technique used by Crane to convey its naturalistic theme.This thesis attempts to make a detailed analysis of the system of symbols in The Red Badge of Courage to show that symbolism is used by Crane to better convey his naturalistic ideas so that a better understanding and appreciation of the work can be achieved.Crane's symbolic style makes him become a pioneer modernistic writer who has influenced many later writers.