Though it didn’t receive as much acclaim as Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage at the time of its publication, many critics now regard the novella "The Monster" as one of the author’s most accomplished works. When African-American servant Henry Johnson puts his own life on the line to save the son of his employer, he sustains horrifying injuries that disfigure him for life — and make him a social pariah. The volume also contains a number of Crane’s short stories.