The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

What motivated Peyton Farquhar to go to Owl Creek Bridge?

• devotion to the Southern cause

• an immediate need to protect his plantation

• curiosity about what the soldier told him

• to make a deal with the Union soldiers

Which of the following is an example of personification from "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"?

• "A whiz and a rattle of grapeshot among the branches high above his head roused him from his dream."

• "The humming of the gnats that danced above the eddies of the stream,"

• "Their movements were grotesque and horrible, their forms gigantic."

• "A lieutenant stood at the right of the line, the point of his sword upon the ground, his left hand resting upon his right."

Which of the following is an example of simile from "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"?

• "the strokes of the water spiders' legs, like oars which had lifted their boat"

• "The sound of a clear, high voice in a monotonous singsong now rang out behind him and came across the water,"

• "He dug his fingers into the sand, threw it over himself in handfuls and audibly blessed it."

• "A strange roseate light shone through the spaces among their trunks and the wind made in their branches the music of Aeolian harps"

Ambrose Bierce wrote “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” using third person limited point of veiw. All of the following are reasons he would have made this choice EXCEPT

• This technique allows the surprise ending to work.

• this POV allows the reader to make inferences about the Federal Scout's motivations.

• the reader must be limited to Farquhar’s knowledge and perceptions, or the story would    

  end quickly

• If it were written in any other way, we wouldn't have known the main character's thoughts

What is the main function of the flashback in this story?

• to describe the effects of the war on women and children

• to provide insight into the treacherous nature of the Union soldiers

• to generate sympathy for the Southern cause

• to explain why Peyton Farquhar is being hanged

Which of the following excerpts from the story provides a clue that certain events occur in Peyton Farquhar's imagination rather than in reality?

• "… he had frequented camps enough to know the dread significance of that deliberate, drawling, aspirated chant …"

• "Suddenly he heard a sharp report and something struck the water smartly within a few inches of his head, spattering his face with spray."

• "He noted the prismatic colors in all the dewdrops upon a million blades of grass."

• "At last he found a road which led him in what he knew to be the right direction."

   

Which of the following excerpts shows a limited third-person point of view?

• "Peyton Farquhar was a well-to-do planter, of an old and highly respected Alabama family."

• "The company faced the bridge, staring stonily, motionless."

• "The power of thought was restored; he knew that the rope had broken and he had fallen into the stream."

• "The man's hands were behind his back, the wrists bound with a cord."

What is the primary theme of 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge'?

• The brutality of war

• The illusion of reality

• The power of love

• The inevitability of death

Which literary device is predominantly used in 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge' to create suspense?

• Metaphor

• Irony

• Foreshadowing

• Alliteration

What is the significance of the ticking watch in the story?

• It symbolizes the passage of time

• It represents Farquhar's impending death

• It highlights the importance of the moment

• It serves as a distraction for Farquhar