1. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
English 11

2. “Nothing is so improbable as that which is true.”
Journal
“Nothing is so improbable as that which is true.”
-Ambrose Bierce

3. Write down 13 names that start with the letter A.
30 Second Challenge
Write down 13 names that start with the letter A.
GO!

4. About the Author Ambrose Bierce
was one of 13 children whose names all began with the letter A.
was a civil war soldier (volunteered for the Union army)
determined to become a writer after the war...moved to San Francisco
began publishing short stories in the 1870s (true-to-life war stories)
was fascinated with strange and horrible deaths (dark humor/sense of irony)
went beyond Realism with his experiments with narration (multiple points of view in a single story)
moved to Mexico in 1913 and was never heard from again

5. Audio Book

6. As We Read… -Where are we? What is happening?
-How old is this guy? Describe how he looks.
-What will happen when the sergeant moves off the plank?
-What does this guy hear? What does it mean?

7. As We Read… -Describe Farquhar.
-Who visits Farquhar? What does he tell him?
-What do we know of this stranger? What army is he from?

8. As We Read… What happens to Farquhar when the sergeant moves?
What is Farquhar seeing/hearing?
What keeps Farquhar going?
What physical condition is Farquhar in? What is really happening to Farquhar?
How and where does Farquhar die?

9. After Reading Questions
How does Farquhar die?
Why did the soldier who visited Farquhar give him such detailed information about the bridge?
What is the Union soldiers’ reason for hanging Farquhar?
Using lines 80-91, what might Bierce think about heroism and the realities of war?

10. Symbols -Water -Watch symbolizes the freedom he imagines.
symbolizes his imagination.
symbolizes his impending death.
symbolizes his final seconds of life as they are ticking away.

11. Videos Modernized Version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JKHCZIx75U
Twilight Zone: Original