Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge – Ambrose Bierce page 468-475

1. What pieces of information about Farquhar’s background explain why he would risk his life on such a dangerous mission?

2. What do Farquhar and his wife learn from the visitor?

3. What do you learn about the visitor after he leaves the couple?

4. What is Farquhar’s fate?

5. In Part I, Bierce reveals little about the condemned man and the reason for his hanging. How do these omissions create suspense?

6. In what ways are Farquhar’s perceptions of time and motion distorted as he waits to be hanged?

7. What causes this distortion of time?

8. What details suggest that Farquhar’s escape occurs in his mind?

9. Explain whether you think that the portrayal of Farquhar’s final thoughts is realistic.

10. Why were railroad bridges like the one at Owl Creek such an important target during the Civil War?