Wednesday, February 3, 2016

An Occurence At Owl Creek Bridge... Comment on the quote... "Evidently this was no vulgar assassin. The liberal military code makes provision for...

To answer the second part of your question first, Bierce does not reveal the name of Peyton Farquar because he wants to build the reader's interest and add to the mystery of the situation.


The quote suggests that the average assassin is an immoral criminal, but Farquar is far from that. He is an honorable family man who has deliberately decided to serve his state (and the Confederacy) as a spy instead of advancing his military career; as a wealthy plantation owner, he would have probably been an officer with the chance for glory--a high priority for most Southern men of the time. Instead, he has been tricked, caught, tried and about to be hanged in ignominious fashion. He does not even rate a gallows or "any last words" before his execution. Bierce shows that military service is not glorious or glamorous. In this instance it is all business, and death is always close at hand.

No comments:

Post a Comment