PLOT AND SETTING
Where does the story’s main action take place?
At a railroad bridge over Owl Creek in northern Alabama during the Civil War.
What is the condemned man’s full name?
Peyton Farquhar.
What point of view does the story primarily use?
Third-person limited that shifts to stream-of-consciousness in section III.
Third-person limited omniscient point of view, often shortened to third-person limited, uses an outside narrator but focuses on the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of a single character.
What central theme does the story explore about time and perception?
Time feels slower and unreal when someone is about to die.quivering
a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
Sentinel
What event is happening at the beginning of the story?
A man is being prepared to be hanged by Union soldiers.
Which side of the Civil War is Farquhar loyal to?
The Confederacy (Southern cause).
What makes it hard to tell what’s real or imagined for Peyton Farquhar?
His detailed thoughts and feelings mix reality and imagination.
What does Farquhar’s fantasy reveal about human psychology?
The mind’s power to create hope and illusion even in despair.
an important or influential person
dignitary
What happens when the plank drops from under Peyton Farquhar?
He appears to fall into the stream and the rope seems to break (in his illusion).
Who tricks Farquhar into attempting to sabotage the bridge?
A Federal (Union) scout disguised as a Confederate soldier.
What is ironic about Farquhar’s imagined escape?
It occurs only in his mind at the moment of death; he never actually survives.
How does the story comment on war?
It shows war as impersonal, cruel, and indifferent to individual lives.
escape, either physically or mentally
evade
Where does Farquhar believe he is going after escaping?
Toward his home and wife on his plantation.ornery
What do the soldiers on the bridge represent in the story?
Cold military order and the impersonal machinery of war.
They represent the strict and uncaring side of war.
Name one sensory detail that contributes to the tension in the story.
The ticking of his watch growing unbearably loud before the drop.
What theme is conveyed through Farquhar’s fate regarding illusion vs reality?
That illusion can be comforting but fatal when mistaken for truth.
a house, flat, or other place of residence.
dwelling
What is revealed in the final line of the story about the fate of Farquhar?
Farquhar never escaped; he is dead, hanging beneath the bridge.
How is Farquhar described in terms of social class?
A wealthy planter, civilian, and slave owner.
How many parts are in the story and what are they?
It has three parts — the hanging scene, the flashback, and the imagined escape.
What does the story suggest about heroism?
The story shows that idealized heroism is destroyed by the harsh reality of death.
evil in nature or effect
Example: ........ silence:
malign