Guiding Questions
What is the conflict at the beginning of the story?
The soldier is asleep on duty, which is punishable by death.
Laurel
North American evergreen shrub or small tree that is foliage used in crowns and trophies. (particularly in ancient Greek and Roman cultures).
Carter Druse
A child of wealthy Virginia parents who decides to join the Union regiment that arrived in Grafton, Virginia.
Situational Irony
There is a discrepancy between what we expect to happen and what actually happens.
Why is the soldier up on the cliff?
To serve as a guard or lookout for the enemy.
Leonine
(adjective) :
relating to, suggestive of, or resembling a lion
Carter's Father
His father is a wealthy landowner who is both staunchly reserved and reveres duty and family.
Explain situations where there was treason involved.
Treason is the act of betraying.
His father considered joining the Union as a Virginian treason; he knowingly disappointed his parents and committed a crime as sentinel (sleeping on watch). Most importantly, he committed treason against his family, killing his own father!
Why does Carter Druse's father tell him not to disturb his mother?
His mother is in critical condition and about to die, so should not be disturbed.
Repose
(adjective) :
restfulness, tranquility
The Horseman
At the end of the story, it is revealed that it's Druse's father, a Confederate spy.
Bierce's Hook
First sentence:
One sunny afternoon in the autumn of 1861, a soldier lay in a clump of laurel by the side of a road in western Virginia.
What happens when Carter wakes up?
He sees a God-like figure on horseback.
What were the colors of the Northern and Southern sides of the Civil War?
Confederate soldiers wore gray uniforms, while Union soldiers wore blue.
Carter's Mother
She never appears in the story, but Carter's father reminds him that she is critically ill and will die in a few weeks.
Genre
Civil War Short Stories
The end of the story reveals…
The man on horseback was his father.
Carbine
A short-barreled lightweight firearm originally used by cavalry.
Foreshadowing Drew's father's death
The father tells Carter, "Should we both live to the end of the war, we will speak further of the matter."
What examples of military etiquette or rules of conduct are described in the story?
1. Carter Druse bowed reverently to his father, who returned the salute with a stately courtesy.
2. Druse's father said, “Whatever may occur, do what you conceive to be your duty.”
3. He was asleep at his post of duty. But if detected, he would be dead shortly afterward, death being the just and legal penalty for his crime.