Transcript The Devil`s Dictionary

An Occurrence at Owl
Creek Bridge
By Ambrose Bierce
Sam Keck-Flory & Tiffini Hyatt
Ambrose Bierce
• Was born in 1842 in Ohio
• Grew up poor in Indiana; didn’t like farm
life
• Pored over his father’s books
-led to his love of literature
• Eventually attended a military school
Ambrose Bierce, ctd.
• Fought for Union army in Civil War
• Eventually promoted to major
• Was wounded, but returned to war after
recuperating
• Mysteriously disappeared in 1913 after
traveling to Mexico
Literary Works
• “What I Saw of Shiloh”
-personal memoir about experience at
Battle of Shiloh
• The Devil’s Dictionary
-Congratulations- the civility of envy
-Pray- to ask that the laws of the universe
be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner
confessedly unworthy.
Literary Works, ctd.
• “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
-one of his most famous works
-has been adapted into television series,
movies, and radio series
Key Elements
• Look at the setup of the story, the scenery
and the use of adjectives describing the
people, nature, and Farquhar.
Literary Devices
• Symbolism
• Hyperbole
• Imagery
Key elements
• "Peyton Farquhar was a well-to-do planter,
of an old and highly-respected Alabama
family. Being a slave owner and like other
slave owners a politician he was naturally
an original secessionist and ardently
devoted to the Southern cause.
Circumstances of an imperious nature,
which it is unnecessary to relate here, had
prevented him from taking service with the
gallant army that had fought the disastrous
campaigns ending with the fall of Corinth."
Visitor
• A key part is the visitation of the soldier.
• He shows up at Farquhar’s house asking
for water.
• The color of the North's uniform was dark,
navy blue; the South's was grey.
Visitor
• Farquhar seemed to have been tricked
• Being a slave owner he sympathizes with
the South.
• The soldier dressed as a confederate
soldier (really a Union spy) talks about the
Union repairing the railroads.
Visitor
• Peyton then asks details and is assumed
to have made the 30 mile walk to
sabotage the bridge, where the Union
soldiers were waiting for him.
Opinion
• Is Farquhar brave or not?
• “Circumstances of an imperious nature,
which it is unnecessary to relate here, had
prevented him from taking service with that
gallant army which had fought the disastrous
campaigns ending with the fall of Corinth, and
he chafed under the inglorious restraint,
longing for the release of his energies, the
larger life of the soldier, the opportunity for
distinction.”
Time
• Major element in the story
• How is time significant to the ending of the
story?