An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

What does psychological fiction emphasize?

• the supernatural
• events that are especially scary
• actions that cannot be understood
• the interior experiences of characters
• the differences in people's personalities

What actually happens to Peyton Farquhar?

• He returns home safely.
• He dies right outside his home.
• He dies hanging from the bridge.
• He dies in the woods by the riverbank.
• He falls asleep and dreams he is in heaven.

Which of the following is part of a flashback in this story?

• "How far is it to the Owl Creek bridge?" Farquhar asked.
• "To be hanged and drowned," he thought, "that is not so bad."
• "He closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children.
• As Peyton Farquhar fell straight downward through the bridge he lost consciousness and was as one already dead.
• These pains appeared to flash along well defined lines of ramification and to beat with an inconceivably rapid periodicity.

What aspect of Ambrose Bierce's life probably had the most to do with him writing this story?

• his sharp wit
• his pessimism
• his poor family
• his Civil War experiences
• his journalistic background

When Farquhar is flung on the bank of the stream, which of the following details does not seem unreal?

• "... he wept with delight."
• "The trees upon the bank were giant garden plants..."
• "...the sand... looked like diamonds, rubies, emeralds..."
• "... the wind made in their branches the music of aeolian harps."
• "A strange, roseate light shone through the spaces among their trunks..."

Which of the following sentences is the most typical of psychological fiction?

• He awaited each stroke with impatience and -- he knew not why -- apprehension.
• He... had a kindly expression which one would hardly have expected in one whose neck was in the hemp.
• As Peyton Farquhar fell straight downward through the bridge he lost consciousness and was as one already dead.
• The sudden arrest of his motion, the abrasion of one of his hands on the gravel, restored him, and he wept with delight.
• Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him.

What do most of the images toward the end of the story have in common?

• They are surreal in some way.
• The reveal how horrible war is.
• They do evoke any of the senses.
• They have an underlying sense of evil.
• They seem blurred or otherwise unclear.

What is the overall mood of this story?

• gloomy
• suspenseful
• sentimental
• patriotic

How is Farquhar characterized in the flashback?

• sly, reckless, brutal
• calm, detached, haughty
• gentlemanly, reserved, timid
• well-mannered, patriotic, proud

What tension is developed throughout the flashback?

• political tension between the secessionists and the Federal army
• political tension between Farquhar and the soldier
• inner tension within Farquhar over secession
• family tension between Farquhar and his wife