Question
Use the passage from "An Occurrence at at Owl Creek Bridge" to answer the question.
He unclosed his eyes and saw again the water below him. “If I could free my hands,” he thought, “I might throw off the noose and spring into the stream. By
diving I could evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods and get away home. My home, thank God, is as yet outside
their lines; my wife and little ones are still beyond the invader’s farthest advance.”
As these thoughts, which have here to be set down in words, were flashed into the doomed man’s brain rather than evolved from it the captain nodded to
the sergeant. The sergeant stepped aside.
This passage comes at the end of part I in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” Why does the author end part I this way?
to show how delusional Farquhar is
to maintain suspense about what has happened to Farquhar
to make readers think that Farquhar has escaped
to reveal that Farquhar has died
He unclosed his eyes and saw again the water below him. “If I could free my hands,” he thought, “I might throw off the noose and spring into the stream. By
diving I could evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods and get away home. My home, thank God, is as yet outside
their lines; my wife and little ones are still beyond the invader’s farthest advance.”
As these thoughts, which have here to be set down in words, were flashed into the doomed man’s brain rather than evolved from it the captain nodded to
the sergeant. The sergeant stepped aside.
This passage comes at the end of part I in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” Why does the author end part I this way?
to show how delusional Farquhar is
to maintain suspense about what has happened to Farquhar
to make readers think that Farquhar has escaped
to reveal that Farquhar has died
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The author ends part I this way **to maintain suspense about what has happened to Farquhar**. This is achieved by focusing on his desperate thoughts and plans for escape, leaving readers uncertain about his fate and creating tension as the narrative progresses. The passage hints at his desire for freedom while also emphasizing his precarious situation, which raises questions about whether he will succeed or meet his demise.