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?
This helps to create suspense because we don�t know whether or not he deserves it and we also don�t know what he was tried for.
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?
The man�s perceptions of time and motion are distorted while he is waiting to be hanged because a lot of thought and memory is flashing through his mind. Many of his senses are heightened and he sees things in a slower time period. Knowing of these perceptions is important because it hints to the reader that the actions might not really be happening and that they might just be in Farquhar�s head.
3. What seems to be the narrator�s attitude toward Farquhar in Part II? What is the narrator�s attitude toward war?
In Part II the narrator describes Farquhar as a well-to-do planter in an old and highly respected Alabama. I believe that the narrator�s attitude towards war was on the secessionist side and he admired the southern cause.
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?�
There is quite a lot of irony in this story. When Farguhar wants to be a soldier he probably does not know that he is going to be killed by one, and he died as a traitor and not a soldier fighting for the Southern cause. When he agrees with the saying that �all is fair in love and war� it is ironic because he might have thought it was fair earlier, but really he was being hung without a fair reason and he died without a fair cause.
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?
In Part III it suggests that Farquhar�s journey occurs in his mind. This is seen when his senses are too sensitive and heightened and you really find out that it was all in his mind when his neck gets broken and he dies.
6. Explain whether you think the portrayal of Farquhar�s final thoughts and sensations is realistic.
I believe that some of his thoughts are realistic and some are not. For example, the heightened senses of being able to see the color of the soldiers eyes was unrealistic. But, at the same time, escaping from the soldiers and finding his wife could have happened. I think it is all in the opinion of the reader whether his thoughts were realistic or not but to me they were unrealistic for the most part.
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?
Because of the limited third-person point of view we do not find out that it is all in Farguhar�s mind until the end. If the story was used in an omniscient third-person than the story would be given away and we would know that the journey of Farguhar was just in his head.
8. How does Bierce�s use of flashback contribute to the effectiveness of the story?
Flashback helps to show more about the background of Farguhar and his family and it shows that he wants to be a soldier. This information helps add some effectiveness and gives us a different perspective because the reader can decide whether or not they think Farguhar should be hanged.