Text Questions
Which of these inferences is best supported by paragraph 37?
A. Farquhar’s escape was a figment of his imagination.
B. Farquhar has been recaptured.
C. Farquhar’s wife and children were also killed during the war.
A. Farquhar’s escape was a figment of his imagination.
What kind of narrator is Peyton?
Unreliable Narrator
Which word means "the state of being permanent, or unchanging?"
A. fixity
B. traverse
C. apprehension
D. deference
A. fixity
Which of the following events happens first?
A. A gray-clad soldier seeks a drink of water from Farquhar and his wife, revealing that the Northern troops have reached the Owl Creek bridge.
B. Silence and darkness swallows up Farquhar, revealing his body swinging from the side of the Owl Creek bridge.
C. Standing on a railroad bridge, the protagonist’s wrists are bound behind his back with a noose around his neck.
D. The men fire from the bridge as Farquhar attempts to come back up for air, anticipating that the men will continue firing.
C. Standing on a railroad bridge, the protagonist’s wrists are bound behind his back with a noose around his neck.
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is mainly told in _____ tense, from a(n) ______ point of view.
A. future; third-person limited
B. past; third-person omniscient
C. present; first-person
D. past; third-person limited
D. past; third-person limited
What is most closely the meaning of report as it is used in paragraph 30?
A. noun | an account or description of an event
B. noun | a loud noise, like an explosion
C. verb | to give a detailed description of something that happened
B. noun | a loud noise, like an explosion
How old is Peyton Farquhar?
Peyton is thirty-five (par. 3)
Which word means "fear that something bad will happen; anxiety?"
A. fixity
B. traverse
C. apprehension
D. preternaturally
C. apprehension
Which of the following events happens second?
A. A gray-clad soldier seeks a drink of water from Farquhar and his wife, revealing that the Northern troops have reached the Owl Creek bridge.
B. Silence and darkness swallows up Farquhar, revealing his body swinging from the side of the Owl Creek bridge.
C. Standing on a railroad bridge, the protagonist’s wrists are bound behind his back with a noose around his neck.
D. The men fire from the bridge as Farquhar attempts to come back up for air, anticipating that the men will continue firing.
A. A gray-clad soldier seeks a drink of water from Farquhar and his wife, revealing that the Northern troops have reached the Owl Creek bridge.
What type of figurative language is used below?
"[The soil] looked like diamonds, rubies, emeralds; he could think of nothing beautiful which it did not resemble" (paragraph 31).
Simile!
Which line(s) best builds suspense by causing the reader to anticipate whether Farquhar will be struck by a bullet?
A. “Their movements were grotesque and horrible, their forms gigantic.” (paragraph 20)
B. “They were in silhouette against the blue sky. They shouted and gesticulated, pointing at him.” (paragraph 20)
C. “Suddenly he heard a sharp report and something struck the water smartly within a few inches of his head, spattering his face with spray.” (paragraph 21)
C. “Suddenly he heard a sharp report and something struck the water smartly within a few inches of his head, spattering his face with spray.” (paragraph 21)
What evidence does the author provide in paragraphs 4-5 to hint that Peyton Farquhar is an unreliable narrator?
The ticking of his watch and the "sluggish" pace of the stream (paragraphs 4-5).
Which word means "to extend or lie across?"
A. fixity
B. traverse
C. apprehension
D. deference
B. traverse
Which of the following events happens third?
A. A gray-clad soldier seeks a drink of water from Farquhar and his wife, revealing that the Northern troops have reached the Owl Creek bridge.
B. Silence and darkness swallows up Farquhar, revealing his body swinging from the side of the Owl Creek bridge.
C. Standing on a railroad bridge, the protagonist’s wrists are bound behind his back with a noose around his neck.
D. The men fire from the bridge as Farquhar attempts to come back up for air, anticipating that the men will continue firing.
D. The men fire from the bridge as Farquhar attempts to come back up for air, anticipating that the men will continue firing.
What type of figurative language is used below?
"By nightfall he was fatigued, footsore, famished" (paragraph 34).
Alliteration
How does the setting in paragraph 20-22 impact the plot?
A. The use of imagery builds suspense by causing the reader to anticipate whether Farquhar will be struck by a bullet.
B. The use of inner dialogue allows the reader to understand the consequences of Farquhar’s actions.
C. The use of imagery creates a beautiful background that contributes to Farquhar’s feelings of desperation.
A. The use of imagery builds suspense by causing the reader to anticipate whether Farquhar will be struck by a bullet.
Farquhar was most likely captured as a result of ______
A. his resentment towards the Union
B. the disguised scout who visited him and learned his plans
C. his failure to use another name when speaking to other townspeople
A. his resentment towards the Union
Which word means "in a way that exceeds that which is normal or natural?"
A. fixity
B. traverse
C. apprehension
D. preternaturally
D. preternaturally
Which of the following events happens last?
A. A gray-clad soldier seeks a drink of water from Farquhar and his wife, revealing that the Northern troops have reached the Owl Creek bridge.
B. Silence and darkness swallows up Farquhar, revealing his body swinging from the side of the Owl Creek bridge.
C. Standing on a railroad bridge, the protagonist’s wrists are bound behind his back with a noose around his neck.
D. The men fire from the bridge as Farquhar attempts to come back up for air, anticipating that the men will continue firing.
B. Silence and darkness swallows up Farquhar, revealing his body swinging from the side of the Owl Creek bridge.
How does the author’s use of an unreliable narrator affect the plot?
A. The narrator tells the events out of sequence causing the reader to question the validity of Farquhar’s inner thoughts.
B. The narrator purposefully lies about the description of the setting in order to confuse the reader about the time period the events are occurring in.
C. The narrator tells the events as if they are actually happening which builds suspense for the reader anticipating Farquhar’s escape.
C. The narrator tells the events as if they are actually happening which builds suspense for the reader anticipating Farquhar’s escape.
The following passage (paragraph 2) adds to the development of the story mainly by ______.
"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."
A. introducing the character of Death, who plays a major role in the story
B. pointing out the solemnity and seriousness of a military execution
C. suggesting that Peyton Farquhar’s execution will not go exactly as planned
D. All of the above
B. pointing out the solemnity and seriousness of a military execution
Which of the following statements about Farquhar is best supported by the story?
A. Farquhar was a soldier who deserted the Union army to fight for the South.
B. Farquhar was a Confederate soldier who fought at the battle of Corinth.
C. Farquhar was not a soldier but a sympathizer to the Confederate cause.
C. Farquhar was not a soldier but a sympathizer to the Confederate cause.
Which word means "respect or humble submission given to someone or something that is superior to another in some way?"
A. fixity
B. deference
C. apprehension
D. preternaturally
B. deference
In 2-3 sentences, describe the events of Peyton's escape.
After falling into the water, Peyton gets his hands free and removes the noose. He begins swimming away to avoid gunshot, but gets hit with one bullet. Lastly, after evading the canons and winding up on the river bank, he walks all night through a dark forest until he arrives home.
Which statements BEST reflect two themes developed in the text?
A. Peace can only be achieved once a person escapes violence; Soldiers often spend time trying to remember the past.
B. War causes people to act in desperate ways; The fear of death affects how one perceives time.
C. War causes people to act in forgiving ways; The fear of death affects how people remember the past.
B. War causes people to act in desperate ways; The fear of death affects how one perceives time.