[the] ENGLISH-BLOG [.com]

Deciding the Point-of-View - From Whose Perspective are Bierce's and Poe's Stories Told?

19 February 2007

Class,

You'll find today's homework assignment below . . .

1. Review the two articles from the Coursepack about “Point of View” from Friday’s readings.
2. Decide which point of view you think is being used in either “The Masque of the Red Death” or “An Occurrence at Owl Creek."
3. Write a short response on the English-blog that states your case.
4. Be able to “defend” your position/argument with examples from both the short story and the places in the Coursepack articles that explain the point of view you are defending. Use page numbers in parenthesis and be sure to put the full citations at the end.
5. You should be able to do this short assignment in one to two paragraphs.
6. Have a look at my comments to the answers from your previous responses about “Connections” to see what kind of responses got the full two points. You’ll notice that in each case, they followed the instructions by preparing the works cited and actually using examples from the text to prove their case (evidenced by the numbers in parentheses)

Remember to do your readings. I retain the right to quiz you at any time on them!

*A short note to those students who actually read these blog posts:

Friday we will not meet in our regularly scheduled courseroom. I repeat: we will NOT meet in Keith 165 on Friday.

Instead, Friday’s class meeting will be held in Leonard Hall, Room 118.

I mention this here in the event that I forget to mention it Wednesday in class or if someone is absent Wednesday. Wednesday’s class will meet in our regular courseroom.

See you then,

Dr. Hobbs

---------------------------------------

Dear Dr.. Hobbs,

My name is Lyndsay K. I was an S.A. in class on Monday February 19, 2007
Thank you

2.19.07

Professor Hobbs,

The point of view in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce is a third person narrative. In third person narrative, the person telling the story is not a character in the story. This is seen when Ambrose Pierce wrote in the first sentence, “He was a civilian, if one might judge from his habit, which was that of a planter” (200). This sentence does not use “I” so we know it is not first person; the narrator is reporting the actions of the characters using words such as “he”. Using words such as “he, she, they” represents a non-participant point of view (Roberts 85).
Third person narratives can also be described as dramatic. An example of this is when the narrator uses dialogue within the story (Roberts 85). When an order is placed for any civilian to be hanged when caught prying near railroads, bridges, etc., Peyton Farquhar discusses this with a passing soldier. “How far is it to the Owl Creek bridge?” asked Farquhar, and the soldier responded, “About thirty miles” (Bierce 201). The narrator is reporting what he believes was said by the characters. The narrator is also omniscient or “all knowing” (Roberts 85). This is evidenced by the narrator’s ability to enter the mind of the character in the example, “By nightfall he was fatigued, footsore, famishing” (Bierce 204). The narrator is going into the character’s role and assuming that Peyton Farquhar is going through these hardships.

See you in class,
Jen N.
English 121.003 MWF 11:45-12:45

Bierce, Ambrose. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” 1891. Rpt in Writing About Literature by Edgar V. Roberts. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2006.

Roberts, Edgar V. Writing About Literature. 11th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006.

Rebecca Shenkle
2/19/07

Point of View

The story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is told from the third person point of view. I know this because a third person point of view is when the narrator is not participating in the action of the story, but is able to talk about the character’s feelings (C.P, 62). In this story there is a narrator that is not involved in the story, but is telling about the man who is being hung and how is he is feeling throughout the process. For example, in the story, the narrator talks about what the character is thinking: “Striking through the thought of his dear ones was a sound which he could neither ignore nor understand, a sharp, distinct, metallic percussion like the stroke of a blacksmith’s hammer upon the anvil; it had the same ringing quality (Roberts, 200). This is just one example that proves that this story was told from the third person point of view.

Works Cited
Bierce, Ambrose. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” 1891. Story in Writing about Literature by Edgar Roberts, ed. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006.
“Exploring Point of View.” 2005. Literature: What Makes a Good Story? Annenburg/CPB. 7 Dec. 2006 .

Jenny Troutman
ENGL 121.003 Humanities Literature
Point of View Summary
21 February 2007

In Bierce’s piece, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is shown in a narrative third person but as an omniscient point of view. Bierce tells the story of Peyton Farquhar being hanged by these two private soldiers in the Federal Army. They were under the direction of the sergeant which may have been the deputy sheriff. “The man who was engaged in being hanged was apparently about thirty-five years of age,” (p. 200). As the paragraph goes on, Bierce states about Peyton’s characteristics so the reader can have a good, ideal picture of what he looks like. Ambrose Bierce shares about the private soldiers and Peyton of what is going on in their minds, and then read what they have said so the reader knew what was going on.

“In a nonparticipant (third-person) point of view, the teller of the tale is not a character in the tale,” (p. 65: CP) “The omniscient teller can at any time enter the mind of any or all of the characters; whereas the first-person narrator can say…,” (p.65: CP). With these definitions of what a third person and omniscient is, Bierce shows in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” the story of the man, Peyton thoughts and worries while he is being executed. Also Bierce shares of what the two private soldiers are thinking while they are following their sergeant’s orders. So with the information provided in the Course Packet (CP), I believe that Bierce is stating this story as a third person but in an omniscient point of view.

Bierce, Ambrose. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” 1891. Rpt. in Writing About Literature by Edgar V. Roberts, 11 Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2006.

Hobbs, Lee. "Narrative Point of View." 2007. Page 65.

20 February 2007

Mr. Hobbs-

The short story “The Masque of Red Death” written by Edgar Allen Poe in our text Writing About Literature tells the story of a deadly disease in the 1800s. The author, Poe, uses a third person point of view to tell the story. Not only that, but he also writes in an objective or “fly on the wall” approach.
According to our course packet, “with the objective view, the writer tells what happens without stating more than can be inferred from the story’s action and dialogue” (62). This is very true in the case of this story since Poe describes the seen without saying anything of what the characters’ are personally feeling. We can also tell it is third person when Poe always refers to the prince as “Prince Prospero” such as on page 239. Even more to add on to the third person view is that the pronoun “he” is used when the prince speaks out on page 241. Third person point of view will tend to use these pronouns when referring to a character rather than using “you” or “I” as would be in other points of view. Throughout the story of the Red Masque, Poe keeps the feeling as one would have if they were watching from a TV and does not let on to be any part of the action. There is never any comment on the happenings and no mention of participation in the occurring events. All of these details let the reader know that the story is in fact an objective third point of view piece of literature.

Works Cited:
Poe, Edgar Allen. “The Red Masque.” 1842. Rpt. In Writing About Literature by Richard Adams, ed. New Jersey: Upper Saddle River, 2006.

Bettina Herold
ENGL121.003 Humanities Literature MWF 1145-1245

Dear Mr. Hobbs,
The story" An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is an integral setting.This story is an integral setting because the setting is an important deatil to the story, knowing the setting actually gives readers a better understanding of this story and the characters actions. The characters are in the Army so explaining or giving the setting of the story only enhances the readers comprehension of this story. The author's description of the location helps readers be able to paint a mental picture of what is going on in the story.The setting being giving makes the story seems more realistic.When History is written the location of the battle is always given that is why this seems so realistic.

Dr. Lee Hobbs

The Masque of the Red Death

The Masque of the Red Death is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe, in the Nonparticipant, or the third-person point of view. It is written in the third-person point of view because Edgar Allan Poe wanted to relate his meaning and symbols of morals and death, and if he was actually apart of the short story, it wouldn’t have as much meaning as it does without having him as an actual character. He uses the red death, to describe a disease, and the true meaning of red was to express blood (Roberts pg 238). He just uses characters to explain, that it doesn’t matter your importance, but though no one can break away from death. In some ways I think Edgar Allan Poe also used selective omniscience. Selective Omniscience provides a focus especially if limited to a single or few characters (course pack pg 65). I believe he touched a little on this because his main focus seemed to be on the prince and a few others. The Masque of the Red Death uses third Point of view.

Works Cited

Roberts V. Edgar. Writing about Literature Brief 11th edition. 2006. Saddle River, New Jersey.
Hobbs. Lee, Ed. English 121.003 Humanities Literature. Indiana University of Pennsylvania Spring 2007. Course Pack.

Until Next Class
B.Decker

Professor Hobbs,

Ambrose Bierce, while relating the events of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” uses the omniscient point of view. The narrator describes the scene: a Captain, Sergeant, and sentry, dressed in Union colors, are positioned on a railroad bridge with a man who is bound and strung up. (Roberts 200) The bound man, Peyton Farquhar, is the main protagonist; all the events in the story as well as the narration center on him and his actions. This description could be attributed to a limited omniscient point of view, where the narrator has knowledge of just a single character; however I don’t believe this to be true. (CP 62)

With a limited omniscient point of view the narrator possesses emotional and inner knowledge of a single character and how that character views their world. (CP 62) If this were true, we would not have known that the dusty rider was in fact a Union soldier, and the later events may have been more of a surprise. (Roberts 201) (This same thing happens in Sergio Leone’s “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”.) From Peyton’s point of view and thus the narrator’s, the dusty soldier is a member of the Confederate army, the fact that the rider was indeed a Yankee would be unknown to Peyton.

This assertion is a long shot; the case of the mistaken “Federal scout” is a part of the story mechanics: without it, the story would not be as convincing, and after multiple readings I have yet to find another instance like it. Limited omniscient point of view centering on Peyton Farquhar is a more accurate description of the narrator’s point of view.

Works Cited

Bierce, Ambrose. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” Writing About Literature. Edgar V. Roberts, Ed. with Leah Jewell. Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006. Pages: 199-204.

“ENGL 121.003 Humanities Literature Course Pack”. Lee Hobbs, ed. Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Spring 2007. Pages 62-67.

Best Regards,

Justin Bleggi

Professor Hobbs,

From the reading of “The Masque of the Red Death,” and the course booklet about the different points of views, I believe that the story is told in the third person point of view and the first person narrative. The short story starts off as a third person, because in the beginning Poe does no use words such as I, me, mine, us, we and so on. He does not participate in the action of story, however we learn about the characters/setting through outside voices. For example on page 239 it states, “But the Prince Prospero was happy and dauntless and sagacious.” Here Poe is letting the readers learn more about Prince Prospero and the setting of the story.

However, it seems that Poe mixes the third person narrative with first person narrative. Poe begins to use himself in the text following the third person narrative. He begins using I and me in the story. Likewise, the first person point of view states that the narrator participates in the action of the story. For example, Poe states on page 239, “But first let me tell of the rooms in which it was held.” As you can see Poe, uses the pronoun “me” and refers back to himself, as though he was a character in the story. Another time he does this is on page 241 he states, “In an assembly of phantasms such as I have painted, it ma well be supposed that no ordinary appearance could have excited such sensation.” Here again Poe uses the pronoun, “I”. In these two examples, Poe has used himself as a character in the story. However, in the beginning of the story he uses the third person point of view to explain the action of the story.

Sincerly,
April H.

Professor Hobbs,

The story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by author Ambrose Bierce, is a piece of literature written in the third person. This tale is narrated by a “non-participant” who describes the death of a man named Peyton Farquhar. The evidence in supporting this statement is included throughout the story by referring to the main subject using the words him, his, the man, and he. “The man who was engaged in being hanged was apparently about thirty-five years of age. He was a civilian, if one might judge from his habit…” (Bierce, 200). The author used the words man, he, and his when describing the main character Peyton Farquhar.
Not only does the author write in the third-person, he also writes in the neutral omniscience point of view. The narrator is merely describing the situation that occurred, leaving out any emotional or judgmental contribution. “As Peyton Farquhar fell straight downward through the bride he lost consciousness and was as one already dead”. (Bierce, 201).

Citations
Bierce, Ambrose. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” 1891. Rpt. in Writing About
Literature by Edgar V. Roberts, 11th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006.

Sincerely,
Stephanie Vrabel
ENGL 121.003 Humanities Literature

Gillenberger 1

Erika L.Gillenberger
Instructor Lee Hobbs
ENGL 101.025 College Writing
21 Feb 2007
Point of View
When reading “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” I came to realize that this particular story is written in the third person point of view. This is clearly defined in the readings of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” when the narrator lets us know how the character that is about to be hung feels. Even though the narrator does not participate in the action of the story we learn about the character who is about to be hung through the characters outside voice.
To give you a better understanding of the third person point of view lets look at a statement from one of the passages in this story. “If I could free my hands,” he thought, “I might throw of the noose and spring into the stream.” (pg 200) This statement lets us the readers know it is in the third person point of view, because the narrator says, “he thought” referring to the character in the story. This shows us the character feelings and thoughts by the narrator speaking with the characters outside voice.

Works Cited
Roberts, Edgar. Writing About Literature: Brief Eleventh Edition. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc., 2006.

Point of View

The short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce is told in a third person, limited omniscient point of view. In other words, the narrator does not participate in the story as a character and has limited knowledge of only one character. In this case, that character is Peyton Farquhar, who is the man being hung in the story. In Part I Bierce describes the setting in which the story is taking place and of the people in it, including a man who is to be hung. Here is where we are first drawn into the character being hung when Bierce says, “He closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children” (200). Yet, we are still unsure of the exact name of the character being hung.
In Part II we learn about the character of Peyton Farquhar, but no other character. “Peyton Farquhar was a well-to-do plantar…” (201). Other characters speak, but that is all. “The Yanks are repairing the railroads,” said the man, “and are getting ready for another advance…” (201). This goes to show that Peyton Farquhar is a character of much more importance and that he is the only character that the narrator knows about making it a limited omniscient point of view. In Part II we learn that Peyton Farquhar is indeed the man being hung and we fall into what he thinks and sees going on. “He was not conscious of an effort, but a sharp pain in his wrist apprised him that he was trying to free his hands” (202). The narrator never reveals himself throughout the story that is how we know that it is a third person point of view.

Katie Kovac
English 121 003

I was an S.A. on monday feb. 19th.

Mr. Hobbs,

I believe the “Masque of the Red Death” is written from the objective point of view. The objective point of view is defined as a story in which the narrator simply tells the story. The narrator does not give any insight more that can be inferred from the story itself (Point of View, 62).

The “Masque of the Red Death” falls into this category simply because it matches the description exactly. The narrator gives a very descriptive account of the story, but includes nothing about the actual feelings of the characters. For example, the description of Prince Prospero simply gives an introduction of his character and the follows through with his actions and interactions and nothing more (Poe, 239) This type of story appears as though the narrator is simply interested in the overall plot of the story, leaving out all little details such as the characters feelings.

Works Cited

Allan Poe, Edgar. "The Masque of the Red Death." Writing About Literature. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006. 238-242.
Hobbs, Lee, ed. Point of View. Humanities Literature. Dec. 2006 .

Thank you,
Jaime Hersh

Professor Hobbs,

In the short story “Mask of the Red Death” by Edgar Allen Poe, the story is told in first person point of view. On page 64 of the Coursepack text it states “Sometimes a first person narrator still says “I”, but the reader feels the story is not chiefly about this “I”, but some other figure.” Many speakers can also be unnamed narrators of a story.
In the story the narrator, or unnamed speaker tells us of the “Red Death” disease, symbolized by blood, attacking Prince Prospero. The first person unnamed narrator gives us the detailed description, of not only the setting and look of the seven chambers, but also the fear of the Prince. We realize he is a narrator when he uses the phrases such as “as I have told you” and “as I have painted” (241) proving his status of a first person point of view.

Sincerely,
Tina W

Lauren Wozniak
Instructor Lee Hobbs
ENGL 121

Deciding Point of View

At the very beginning of the short story, “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe, Poe begins to tell the story in third-person point of view. This is when the narrator does not participate in the action of the story as one of the characters, but lets us know exactly how the characters feel. (Course Packet, 62) For example, instead of taking on the role of the characters, Poe becomes an observer. In most cases, a third-person narrator does not use certain pronouns; such as me, I, mine, we, and us. But, because Poe uses pronouns such as those listed above he implies a shifting point of view. Poe switches from third-person point of view to first-person point of view.
Here are a few quotes from “The Masque of the Red Death” where Edgar Allan Poe switches point of view. “But first let me tell of the rooms in which it was held.”
(Poe, 239) Here Poe states, “…let me tell” indicating first person. Once again on page 241, Poe states, “In an assembly of phantasms such as I have painted, it may well be supposed that so ordinary appearance could have excited such sensation.” Here he switches the story from third-person point of view to first-person by saying, “…such as I have painted.”
By Poe switching the story from third-person point of view to first-person point of view, he is implying that he has assumed the role of Prince Prospero. In conclusion, by switching point of views Poe is making his reader assume that he could have lived to tell his story, which is impossible because the Red Death killed everyone and left no survivors.

“Exploring Point of View.” 2005. Literature: What Makes a Good Story? Annenburgh/CPB. 7 Dec.2006 .

Poe A. Edgar “The Masque of the Red Death” Writing About Literature by Edgar V. Roberts, ed. 11. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006

In the story "The Masque of the Red Death" it is told in the third person point of view. It's a little confusing because when the author Edgar Allan Poe is describing a room where a masquerade ball was held he states: "But first let me tell of the rooms in which it was held" (Roberts, 239). Even though this is in there, the main character of the story is Prince Prospero who is obviously not Edgar Allan Poe. He uses the prince's name when talking about him which justifies that this is written in third person.

Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death. 1842. Rpt. in Writing About Literature by Richard Adams, ed. New Jersey: Upper Saddle River, 2006.

Shayne Schmidt

Instructor: Lee Hobbs

ENGL 121.003 Humanities Literature

21 February 2007
Point of View
“The Masque of the Red Death”

The point of view being expressed in this story is the third person. The reason I think is because in the story you learn about the Prince from the author telling the story. You learn all of the character traits from the author. Through out the whole story you hear no dialogue that would probably establish a first person tone. The author speaks to the audience in the way he feels about the character and story.
Another point of view the author could have established is a limited omniscient point of view. The reason I think this is because in the whole story it mostly seems as if the author is limiting him self to one character. The author only talks about one character’s feeling and thoughts in the story.

I think the point of view in Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurence at Owl Bridge Creek" is third person, but her or she knows a lot about each character at times. At first in the beginning of the story, it's just physical descriptions, such as that of the "man being hanged." Bierce writes, "... was apparently about thirty-five years of age. He was a civilian, if one might judge from his habit, which was that of a planter." (291) If the narrator were an omniscient one, he or she would know these details already.

"The Masque of the Red Death," however, is in a first person point of view and an omniscient because there are I's in the story, but the narrator does not really shed light on his or her own experiences with the blood. Though the tone sounds participatory, the narrator focuses on the Prince. That's why I think it's a little of both, because he narrates the Prince's actions: "It was then, however, that Prince Prospero, maddening with rage and the shame of his own momentary cowardice, rushed hurriedly through the six chambers..." (330). Yet, with lines such as "In an assembly of phantasms I have painted..." (329), the narrator includes his or herself.

Hobbs, Lee. "Humanities Literature Course Pack." Copies Now, 2007. 62.

Roberts, Edgar V. Writing About Literature: Tenth Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2003.

Lee Hobbs,

The story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce is written in the third person omniscient point of view. This is because in the story the narrator describes each character with great detail and emphasis. It is also written in the “narrative dramatic point of view” because of the plot and details of Bierce sudden death, while he is about to be hanged.
In the story, Bierce is able to explain the characters thoughts and feelings by expressing it in the omniscient point of view. Without this view a reader might decipher that the escape for home was in fact real. Since the speaker knows everything that is going on readers are able to indicate the story takes a stance also on the objective point of view. The author is able to communicate to the reader by letting the audience know what Farquhar was feeling before he died. For example, “his neck was in pain and lifting his hands to it found it horribly swollen”(204). The character Farquhar did not tell us himself what he was feeling. The readers gather their information from the narrator.

Bierce Ambrose. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” 1842. Rpt. in Writing About Literature by Richard Adams, ed. New Jersey: Upper Saddle River, 2006.

Mr. Hobbs,
After reading the passage of, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, it seems that the type of point of view illustrated through out this text is that of the third person point of view. In the third person point of view the narrator doe not have any participation in the action of the story. The narrator is just simply a narrator and not a character from the story telling the story. The narrator does inform you of what is going on and what the other characters are feeling through out the story.
The elements of this text that allow a reader to establish that this is indeed a work in the point of view of third person are that the narrator never uses the words I or me. Usually in a text these words are used when a character is talking about them selves concerning the story.
Also the narrator establishes the other characters with him or her. For example, He closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children. (Page 200, line5) Here the narrator is informing the reader of what is going on in the story. The point of view is with in the third person because the narrator did not establish themselves as a character and seeing this occur.
The narrator in a text that has a point of view of the third person also educates the reader on how the characters are feeling in the story. He felt the ripples upon his face and heard their separate sounds as they struck. (Page 202, line23) Here the narrator is informing the reader of how a character feels something physically. This is something that another character of the story could not tell. They would not be able to speak out about the emotional or physical feelings of a character with such certainty.

- Carlos Gonzalez
English 121.003
2-21-2007

Dear Mr. Hobbs,

Each story is told by someone, and in the literary world there are many points views that may be taken. A point of view is simply the way in which the story is told; for example if the story is being told by an active character or an outside narrator. When writing a story the author chooses the point of view that would be most effective in bringing out the meaning of their work.
Ambrose Bierce’s “The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” tells the story of a man as he is being executed. She chose to write this story in the Omniscient Point of View. In this point of view the story is told by a narrator who is all knowing (ENGL 62). One way that the reader can tell that the narrator is omnipotent is that the narrator knows what our protagonist is thinking. “He closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children” ( Bierce 200)...”And now he became conscious of a new disturbance.”(Bierce 200). The narrator is not speculating what the protagonist might be thinking. He knows it as it happens.
I believe that Bierce made an excellent choice in choosing the Omniscient Point of View for this story; it allows the reader to feel a very raw description of what the main character is going through with out having the character tell it himself. This allows the reader to feel like an observer, and yet allows them to feel close to him; almost like a close friend.

Works Cited:
Beirce, Ambrose. “The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” Writing About Lirerature. Roberts, Edgar V.. Brief Eleventh Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc, 2006. 199-204.

“Point of View.” ENGL121.003 Humanities Literature. Indiana: 2007. 62.

--Erika Knox

Donnetta Allen

Professor Hobbs,

After reading The Masque of the Red Death I think that this story was written in third person. Although there is a point where the narrater refers to himself, "But first let me tell of the room in which it was held" (239). This made me wonder a little but as I kept reading it became clear that it was third person.

The course pack says, "the teller of the tale is not a character in the tale" (65). Throughout the book someone was telling the story and was not actually in the story. Even though his descriptions are as though he was present in the room, in the palace with the prince he is not actually a character in the story.

Edger Allan Poe “The Masque of the Red Death.” 1842. Rpt. in Rpt. in Writing About Literature by Richard Adams, ed. New Jersey: Upper Saddle River, 2006.

Lee Hobbs, ed. University of Pennsylvania, Spring 2007. ENG 121.003 Humanities Literature

Lorin Gdula
Deciding The Point of View-An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

I think that in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is written in an objective point of view. Ambrose Bierce tells us what happens in the story without telling us details that we couldn’t figure out on our own. The author just tells us the story and really doesn’t participate in the story. In the beginning we learn that the main character is tied up at the edge of the bridge. We later learn that the Union Army was going to hang him for attempting to destroy the bridge. The author leads us to believe that the rope breaks and that Farquhar falls into the water, but only to escape that mess that he is in and to be reunited with his wife. But, in the end we found out that Farquhar was indeed hung and that these images were only glimpses of what he only dreamed of before his last seconds of life. She leads you into the story making you think what you want and actually look into the story, that is why I think that it is written in objective point of view.

Bierce Ambrose, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” 1891. Writing About Literature by Richard Adams, ed. New Jersey: Upper Saddle River, 2006.

Professor Hobbs,

In an Occurrence at Owl Creek a limited omniscient third person point of view is being used. It is limited omniscient because throughout the whole story the feelings and thoughts of the other characters are never expressed, the only things we see of them are their own actions. In the course pack it describes third person point of view, “Here the narrator does not participate in the action of the story as one of the characters, but lets us know exactly how the characters feel. We learn about the characters through this outside voice.” (P. 62)
It is made apparent very early in the story that it is a third person point of view. I realized it was third person in the first few sentences, “A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama, looking down into the swift water twenty feet below. The man’s hands were behind his back, the wrists bound with a cord. A rope closely encircled his neck.” (p. 199) Now for somebody who hadn’t already read this story these sentences might not make it completely obvious since this could be coming from the views of another character there watching, but since I know already that Peyton is the main character and the only person who could’ve been the narrator I know this is not the case. These sentences made it obvious for me because the narrator is telling us exactly what’s going on and describing everything while not being involved in the story. If this were a movie and we were watching the man from the camera’s point of view we’d be getting the same point of view as the narrator is giving us.

English 121 course pack.

Bierce Ambrose. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek.” 1891. Rpt. in Writing About Literature by Richard Adams, ed. New Jersey: Upper Saddle River, 2006

Jeff Hoover

Mr. Hobbs

After reading the story The Masque of the Red Death, by Edger Allen Poe, I have come to the conclusion that it was written in non-participant point of you. This is because it was never written as "I". The characters were written as "he" and "prince". Further I believe that the story was written in Selective omniscience because it was limited to the single character.

Nicole Novak

Colin Hough

Instructor Lee Hobbs

ENGL 121.017

21 February 2007

The Point of View in “The Masque of the Red Death”

In Edgar Allen Poe’s famed short story, “The Masque of the Red Death,” the main character, Prince Prospero, holds a ball at his palace that turns horribly wrong. The town over which Prince Prospero rules at the time of the story had been being annihilated by a plague known as the “Red Death.” At this masquerade held by the Prince, he spots a guest dressed as a victim of the Red Death; a costume that thoroughly insulted Prospero. In need of finding out the guest’s identity, Prospero chases the guest around the castle until finally he corners the guest in the “black room,” as the rooms of the party were color coordinated. When the guest reveals his identity, Prospero found himself standing before the figure of the Red Death itself, who immediately causes the spreading of the disease throughout the kingdom.
In this story Edgar Allen Poe uses the third person point of view in order to provide narration for the story. What this means exactly is “that the narrator does not participate in the action of the story as one of the characters, but lets us know exactly how the characters feel. A great example of the third person narration in “The masque of the Red Death” is when the narrator illustrates the thoughts of Prospero’s guests when they noticed the unwanted guest. “The whole company, indeed, seemed now deeply to feel that in the costume and bearing of the stranger neither wit nor propriety existed” (Roberts, 241). Explaining how the guests felt, this quotation from Poe’s short story clearly identifies the point of view taken within it as that of the third person.

--------------------------------------------

*NOTE* The deadline for this assignment has now passed. Comments are no longer being accepted for this exercise

~Lee

Dominic Hughes
English 122-CA17
Dr. Hobbs
27 January 2009

Bierce, Ambrose. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”. Writing About Literature. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. Place of
Publication: Publisher, Year. .

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is a short story about a man name Peyton Fraquhar, who was captured by some Union Soldiers, while trying to burn down a section of Owl Creek Bridge. He is about to be hung for his doings, but just as the box is kicked from under his feet, he leaps into the river just below him and swims with all his might, to his humble abode. When he arrives at his home in the early morning, he sees his wife waiting on the veranda for him. She walks towards him and him to her, but just as he is about to grasp her beautiful presence, he is struck in the neck and dies.
A particular passage in the story caught my attention because it had a very tricky ending. The passage was about Fraquhar arriving home, tired from his endless running, and he finally arrives as his destination, his home. As he approaches the gates, his wife spots him and runs to him and him the same. See the Author wants the reader to think Fraquhar is safe and alive but Ambrose twist up the ending by saying that Fraquhar feels a sharp joint to his neck; all is first bright as day, and then dark as night. Fraquahr is dead. Now, Fraquahr never escaped the bridge, he imagined the whole thing due to his urge to get home to his family. And the particular passage I read was a very good twist in the story.
I believe Ambrose ended the short story like this to describe how people act when they’re terrified, feeling that pressure of their last minutes alive. People start to hallucinate about the importance of things in their life and really forget what situation their in until they feel that sudden blow that hits them.

Steve Milvid
Dr. Hobbs
English 122 – section ca17
2/8/2009

Bierce, Ambrose. “An Occurrence on Owl Creek Bridge.”Writing about Literature by Edgar V. Roberts.
Pearson Education INC. 2005

The short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce is one that tells the tale of a man being hung. The story takes place in northern Alabama during the Civil War. The hanging ceremony is taking place on a railroad bridge crossing a stream. The man being hung is named Peyton Farquhar, he is a southern plantation owner and a politician.
Write in the beginning of the story we learn of Peyton’s deep love for the south, “No service was to humble for him to perform in the aid of the south.” (An Occurrence on Owl Creek Bridge 201) He is clearly a supporter of the confederate states and wishes for there to be no changes made due to the war, as he is a slave owner. However, it is also apparent that Farquhar views himself as someone to important for regular military duty. Farquhar states “Circumstances of an imperious nature, which it is unnecessary to relate here, had prevented him from taking service with the Gallant Army.” (201) Peyton feels as if he is a soldier but is just waiting for the perfect time to strike, leaving him with the opportunity to be recognized. When a federal scout comes to his door disguised as a Confederate soldier he is tricked into thinking he has found the perfect opportunity to achieve distinction. The Federal spy tells him that it is possible to thwart the oncoming forces by burning the wood under the bridge. Compelled by his strong sense of duty, Peyton sets out on a mission to do such that.
After his capture he is put on the bridge to be hung. During the moments before he is hung Peyton is described as having a “kindly expression.” (200) He really feels as if he has done something for the South and is getting an honorable hanging. However, before the last board is removed beneath his feet his mind goes astray and leads him to his last few moments of happiness. He dreams that he has fallen from the bridge and into the water below and then end up on a shore downstream. He runs throughout the entire day with nothing on his mind but seeing his wife and children. Peyton is a family man who loves his children and wife deeply, as can be seen in his dream. He finally reaches the house nearly falling into his wife’s arms as he dies in real life on the bridge.

Works Cited

Wiggins, Robert A. Ambrose Bierce. University of Minnesota Pamphlets on American Writers.
No.37. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1964. This pamphlet on Ambrose Bierce an American writer is full of valuable information into Bierce’s life in the rural farmlands of the Midwest and south frontier especially highlighting important insight to his relationship and involvement in the Civil War which holds much relevance to the story being written about.

Ziff, Larzer The American 1890’s: Life and Times of a Lost Generation. New York: The Viking
Press, 1966. Chapter eight of this book is very educational in informing the reader of Bierce’s writing style which will be very helpful to me as to interpreting the story. The description of expression and styling in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge will enlighten the reader of my paper in the comparisons mentioned in this chapter. Very educational.

Wilson, Edmund. Patriotic Gore: Studies in the Literature of the American Civil War. New York: Oxford University Press, 1966. In adding this at the last minute I hope to refer to chapter XIV in the book that addresses Bierce’s fascination with the Civil War and death; by also comparing him to other writers of the era, I can give support to his style. “The insistence of Ambrose Bierce on discipline, law and order, and on the need for the control of the disorderly mob by an enlightened and well washed minority has today a familiar fascistic ring.”(Wilson, 628)

Roberts, Edgar V. Writing About Literature. Brief 11th edition. Upper Saddle River: Prentice
Hall, 2005 An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, 1891: (199-204). Roberts provides the framework and explanation of the relationships between literature and its historical period. By following the examples and instructions provided I will be able to construct an informational paper about the historical significance of Bierce and his story here written within a specific time period amongst the American Civil War in the 1890’s in which Bierce personally participated.

John Winans
Dr. Hobbs
Eng 122
15 April 2009
Crossing a Bridge Through Time: Revealing the Historical Importance of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” and the Role of Ambrose Bierce.
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” written by Ambrose Bierce begins with the following line: “A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama, looking down into the swift water twenty feet below” (199). The significance of this single line of text gives the reader a cultural setting and an introduction to a character who will take the reader on a journey across that bridge through time.
1891, the year of this story, landed between two major wars, the Civil War and the Spanish - American War as documented in historical records. This places the story within a time frame upon the timeline of American history and gives stability to the topical historical context. The Civil war officially ended in 1865 and the Spanish – American War started in 1898 but the Civil War still continued in the south as the southerners would not let it die as the story tells, and mentions the presence of the Confederate soldiers, the Union, and the various armies along with the historical fort which are all a dead giveaway to the lasting impression of the Civil War and its historical stronghold, once again adding proof of its impact on the south and in history.
Other factors to consider in placing the historical context on a timeline are the mention of the southern life including blacksmiths and slaves as mentioned in the story. This all lends credibility to the historical time period revealing when the story is taking place, and Ambrose Bierce was in the midst of it all; he was witness to similar acts of war, and of course, well adjusted to the ways of life in the later part of the 19th century. In the case of the character in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” the reader can almost place Ambrose there amidst all of the historical settings. His accuracy of events comes alive in his writings, like this passage in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”:
“The Yanks are repairing the railroads,” said the man,” and are getting ready for another advance. They have reached Owl Creek Bridge, put it in order and built a stockade on the north bank. The commandment has issued an order, which is posted everywhere, declaring that any civilian caught interfering with the railroad, its bridges, tunnels or trains will be summarily hanged. I saw the order.” (Roberts 201).
While investigating the accuracy of this passage as it pertained to the war in legitimate reality, history reflects that this occurrence is a significant truth in the historical accounting of the Civil War as Edmund Wilson’s Patriotic Gore: Studies in the Literature of the American Civil War recounts:
“He took part, under General Hazen, in the second day of the battle of Shiloh, advancing, in the teeth of terrific artillery, between Owl Creek and the Tennessee River” (618). Wilson further states, “A number of Bierce’s short stories were based on real incidents remembered from this battle, and he transposed the Owl Creek from Tennessee to Alabama and made use of a hanging that took place at this time for one the best of these stories “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” which was to turn out to be an epitome of Bierce’s strange doomed and constricted life” (618).
Once again Bierce shows his personal connection to his story with actual accurate occurrences that hold the test of time and prove historical balance.
Ambrose Bierce had allowed the war and its very own historical perspectives it provided to invade more than just his thoughts; it captured his heart. Robert A. Wiggins writes in his University of Minnesota “Pamphlets on American Writers No.37, Ambrose Bierce”,
“The Civil War opened another chapter important in Bierce’s early experiences. He was proud of his service in the Union Army, though he seems not to have chosen sides on the basis of issues or principle. He served with distinction and was proudly impressed by what he saw, for the theme of war runs throughout his life and writing up to his death in 1914 during the revolution in Mexico”(9).
This impacts the minds and lives of all who have come in contact with his journals and have had the honor to critique his works and have had the chance to document his life’s journey as it flows through the pens and onto the papers of their writings. Just the mention of Bierce’s name and having the pleasure of writing about his endeavors lends to the historical context of such great literature intertwining his writings with his personal life experiences.
There wouldn’t be Bierce without war and there wouldn’t be war without Bierce, this is the tone of chapter eight: The Poles of Violence in The American 1890’s Life and Times of a Lost Generation by Larzer Ziff which states, “In a land in which the murderous side of the war was an oral tradition only and in which toughness was tempered with tenderness, there was room for one specimen of unrelieved cynicism, one veteran of the war who would write only of its grotesqueries”(166-7).
In appendix B of his text Writing About Literature, Edgar V. Roberts says,
“The topical/historical critical approach stresses the relationship of literature to its historical period, and for this reason it has had a long life. Although much literature may be applicable to many places and times, much of it also directly reflects the intellectual and social worlds of the authors” (183).
By using the topical/historical critical approach explained by Roberts it lends to the validity and insight of both Wiggins and Ziff combined to connect the historical timeline, or bridge so to speak, of the life of Bierce with his short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, the year of 1891 and the Civil War. There is definitely a legitimate historical connection across this particular bridge through this specific time period and establishes Mr. Bierce as an author with critical historical accreditation.
During the Civil War and beyond, the railroad was the mainstream means of commute in the United States during the 19th century. Likewise in “The Occurrence of Owl Creek Bridge” it provided transportation of men and machinery for both sides, the rails connected the north with the south. Bridges were built across bodies of water to allow the railroad to flourish. In an attempt to destroy this line of commute and disable the northern enemies, the main character is persuaded to sabotage the Owl Creek Bridge crippling union forces for the confederacy as a retaliation of war. After being caught though, he is sentenced to hang publicly which was a normal procedure at the time and only solidifies the historical context. This character is a simple planter in the south. “Being a slave owner and like other slave owners a politician he was naturally an original secessionist and ardently devoted to the Southern cause” (Bierce 201). This is all added for the cultural attention to detail of 19th century southern life as well as resembles the life of the author.
The accuracy of describing the brass cannons, the repeating reloading rifles used by the uniformed soldiers who belonged to the Fort nearby and the mention of campsites on the southern territory where the slaves worked, all lend to the authenticity. As well, the writing of the fall of Corinth, the site of a battle won by the union in 1862 verifies the historical attributes. The main character, a southerner by birth with a soldier’s heart, jumps at the chance to do his part for his homeland by taking the challenge of dismantling the bridge for the Southern cause, a cause that meant more to southerners as a whole than life itself. Because he has that certain pride of culture and heritage, and being from a well known family, sold out to the cause believing that even God had a plan for the south and would not forsake it. That belief ended in the physical realm of life, in the flesh and memories, as the hanging and death of one southerner which is testimony to the way it was in the latter part of the 19th century.
In conclusion, when studied side by side and read together, the literature on the interpretation and study of Ambrose Bierce’s life and works, lends stability as well as credibility to his short stories as well as adding historical context to help in the understanding of what the author has intended, how the author may be involved and why the use of such periods in time can help reveal the historical importance of the period. Sometimes a little extra preparation in the study of the relationship of literature to its historical period allows for a well - educated reader. Further more, this connects the dots on the historical timeline and allows for the time period to be easily determined by simply bridging the gaps between the historical periods, which places the writings within its topical context needed to establish it, thus, revealing the historical importance and significance of all he lines of text.

Works Cited

Wiggins, Robert A. “Ambrose Bierce”. University of Minnesota Pamphlets on American Writers. No.37. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1964. This pamphlet on Ambrose Bierce an American writer is full of valuable information into Bierce’s life in the rural farmlands of the Midwest and south frontier especially highlighting important insight to his relationship and involvement in the Civil War which holds much relevance to the story being written about.
Ziff, Larzer The American 1890’s: Life and Times of a Lost Generation. New York: The Viking
Press, 1966. Chapter eight of this book is very educational in informing the reader of Bierce’s writing style which will be very helpful to me as to interpreting the story. The description of expression and styling in "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" will enlighten the reader of my paper in the comparisons mentioned in this chapter. Very educational.
Wilson, Edmund. Patriotic Gore: Studies in the Literature of the American Civil War. New York: Oxford University Press, 1966. In adding this at the last minute I hope to refer to chapter XIV in the book that addresses Bierce’s fascination with the Civil War and death; by also comparing him to other writers of the era, I can give support to his style. “The insistence of Ambrose Bierce on discipline, law and order, and on the need for the control of the disorderly mob by an enlightened and well washed minority has today a familiar fascistic ring.”(Wilson, 628)

Roberts, Edgar V. Writing About Literature. Brief 11th edition. Upper Saddle River: Prentice
Hall, 2005 “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, 1891: (199-204). Roberts provides the framework and explanation of the relationships between literature and its historical period. By following the examples and instructions provided I will be able to construct an informational paper about the historical significance of Bierce and his story here written within a specific time period amongst the American Civil War in the 1890’s in which Bierce personally participated.

McLean 1
Bierce, Ambrose. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” Writing About Literature. Comp. Edgar V. Roberts. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006. 199-204.

Jessica McLean
Dr. B. Lee Hobbs
ENG 122-CA17
January 14, 2009
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
Ambrose Bierce’s main idea behind the story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” was to promote responsible decision making. A successful planter, also a southern patriot, named Peyton Farquhar is being hanged for trying to tamper with a Union railroad bridge. When he first came up with the idea, he was excited and smiled when talking about his plan to a Federal scout (Bierce 201). Throughout the rest of the story, however, Bierce portrays Farquhar as being regretful of his decisions. Before the soldier hangs him, his last thoughts are focused on his wife and children (Bierce 200). This suggests that he is feeling sorry for abandoning his family to pursue a patriotic mission. The planter then daydreams about getting away from the soldiers and returning back home. Bierce says that the only thing keeping him going was thinking about his wife and kids while traveling through the woods (Bierce 204). As Farquhar is getting excited to take his wife in his arms, the readers find out that the plank has only just been released and he is now dead. The goal of this story was to make readers think twice about the decisions they are making and consider the consequences, like never seeing your family again.