10-30-08
Per. 2
�An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge� Questions
1. In Part 1, Bierce includes few details about the condemned man and does not reveal the reason why he is being hanged. How does this help create suspense?
It makes the reader think hard about what will come next. We don�t know who he is and why he is there. It makes us want to read more.
2. In what ways are the condemned man�s perceptions of time and motion distorted as he is waiting to be hanged? Why are his distorted perceptions important?
They are told in a supernatural kind of way that makes the reader focus in more. Time slows down for him and we can see it because the river flowing slows and his clock seems to become louder and slower also. His distorted perceptions are important because we think he escaped and it builds suspense when really, it all comes from his imagination.
3. What seems to be the narrator�s attitude toward Farquhar in Part II? What is the narrator�s attitude toward war?
The narrator feels that Farquhar had a strong, solid background, but thinks that everything having to do with love and war is fair and there are no troubles that come with it.
4. Considering the outcome of the story, what is ironic or surprising about Farquhar�s longing for the �larger life of a soldier?� What is ironic about the fact that Farquhar agrees with the saying that �all is fair in love and war?�
Farquhar wants to be a soldier, but won�t have that long life of a soldier to live because he is meant to be hung. It�s ironic that Farquhar agrees to this saying because he thinks that all is fair in love and war, but at the same time, he is going to be killed for is actions of trying to be like a soldier.
5. What details in Part III suggests that Farquhar�s journey occurs in his mind? How is the journey connected with the plan of escape that occurs to him moments before he is hanged?
After the author already states that Farquhar is dead, he then tells us that he awakens and sees certain supernatural things that normally we could not see. This journey is all in Farquhar�s mind as his escape is too because he imagines it all.
6. Explain whether you think the portrayal of Farquhar�s final thoughts and sensations is realistic.
It seems realistic because the author doesn�t directly state that Farquhar is dreaming all of what is happening around him before he gets shot.
7. Point of view refers to the vantage point from which the story is told. Why is the limited third-person point of view appropriate for this story? How might the story be different if Bierce had used an omniscient third-person narrator?
The third-person limited point of view fits the story so we don�t know what happens to each character exactly but instead imagine how the others feel. If Bierce used omniscient-third person narrator, we would know all the thoughts and feelings of each charater and what would really be happening to Farquhar.
8. How does Bierce�s use of flashback contribute to the effectiveness of the story?
His use of flashback helps to create suspense and really view the characters as to why they are where they are and what they have done to get there.