In literature, what is a theme?(1 point)

The correct response is:

**a unifying idea that gives a text its meaning**

Which phrase describes a theme suggested by the details in the passage?

(1 point)
Responses

loss of innocence
loss of innocence

revenge and justice
revenge and justice

honor and duty
honor and duty

coming of age

The appropriate phrase that describes a theme suggested by the details in the passage would depend on the specific content of the passage you are referring to. However, based on common themes in literature, all of the options could potentially be valid themes.

If you have the passage or details from it, I could help you determine which theme is most fitting based on that context.

Use the passage from “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” to answer the question.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
by Ambrose Bierce

Peyton Farquhar was a well to do planter, of an old and highly respected Alabama family. Being a slave owner and like other slave owners a politician, he was naturally an original secessionist and ardently devoted to the Southern cause. Circumstances of an imperious nature, which it is unnecessary to relate here, had prevented him from taking service with that gallant army which had fought the disastrous campaigns ending with the fall of Corinth, and he chafed under the inglorious restraint, longing for the release of his energies, the larger life of the soldier, the opportunity for distinction. That opportunity, he felt, would come, as it comes to all in wartime. Meanwhile he did what he could. No service was too humble for him to perform in the aid of the South, no adventure too perilous for him to undertake if consistent with the character of a civilian who was at heart a soldier, and who in good faith and without too much qualification assented to at least a part of the frankly villainous dictum that all is fair in love and war.

Which phrase describes a theme suggested by the details in the passage?

(1 point)
Responses

loss of innocence
loss of innocence

revenge and justice
revenge and justice

honor and duty
honor and duty

coming of age

Based on the details provided in the passage from “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” the phrase that best describes a theme suggested by the passage is:

**honor and duty**

The passage emphasizes Peyton Farquhar's devotion to the Southern cause, his longing for distinction as a soldier, and his willingness to undertake perilous adventures for the war effort, all of which relate to themes of honor and duty.

Use the passage from “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” to answer the question.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
by Ambrose Bierce

Peyton Farquhar was a well to do planter, of an old and highly respected Alabama family. Being a slave owner and like other slave owners a politician, he was naturally an original secessionist and ardently devoted to the Southern cause. Circumstances of an imperious nature, which it is unnecessary to relate here, had prevented him from taking service with that gallant army which had fought the disastrous campaigns ending with the fall of Corinth, and he chafed under the inglorious restraint, longing for the release of his energies, the larger life of the soldier, the opportunity for distinction. That opportunity, he felt, would come, as it comes to all in wartime. Meanwhile he did what he could. No service was too humble for him to perform in the aid of the South, no adventure too perilous for him to undertake if consistent with the character of a civilian who was at heart a soldier, and who in good faith and without too much qualification assented to at least a part of the frankly villainous dictum that all is fair in love and war.

Which line from the passage supports the theme "War tests character on and off the battlefield"? Select the two correct answers.

(1 point)
Responses

"Circumstances of an imperious nature, which it is unnecessary to relate here, had prevented him from taking service with that gallant army. . ."
"Circumstances of an imperious nature, which it is unnecessary to relate here, had prevented him from taking service with that gallant army. . ."

"No service was too humble for him to perform in the aid of the South, no adventure too perilous for him to undertake if consistent with the character of a civilian who was at heart a soldier. . ."
"No service was too humble for him to perform in the aid of the South, no adventure too perilous for him to undertake if consistent with the character of a civilian who was at heart a soldier. . ."

". . .he chafed under the inglorious restraint, longing for the release of his energies, the larger life of the soldier, the opportunity for distinction."
". . .he chafed under the inglorious restraint, longing for the release of his energies, the larger life of the soldier, the opportunity for distinction."

"Peyton Farquhar was a well to do planter, of an old and highly respected Alabama family."
"Peyton Farquhar was a well to do planter, of an old and highly respected Alabama family."

"Being a slave owner and like other slave owners a politician, he was naturally an original secessionist and ardently devoted to the Southern cause."

To support the theme "War tests character on and off the battlefield," the two correct lines from the passage would be:

1. **"Circumstances of an imperious nature, which it is unnecessary to relate here, had prevented him from taking service with that gallant army. . ."**

2. **"No service was too humble for him to perform in the aid of the South, no adventure too perilous for him to undertake if consistent with the character of a civilian who was at heart a soldier. . ."**

These lines illustrate how Farquhar's character is influenced by the war, demonstrating his desire to serve and the challenges he faces while not actively on the battlefield.

Use the passage from “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” to answer the question.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
by Ambrose Bierce

He closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children. The water, touched to gold by the early sun, the brooding mists under the banks at some distance down the stream, the fort, the soldiers, the piece of drift—all had distracted him. And now he became conscious of a new disturbance. Striking through the thought of his dear ones was 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. He wondered what it was, and whether immeasurably distant or nearby— it seemed both. Its recurrence was regular, but as slow as the tolling of a death knell. He awaited each new stroke with impatience and—he knew not why—apprehension. The intervals of silence grew progressively longer; the delays became maddening. With their greater infrequency the sounds increased in strength and sharpness. They hurt his ear like the thrust of a knife; he feared he would shriek. What he heard was the ticking of his watch.

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.

Drag each line from the passage to the developing theme it supports.
(2 points)

the preciousness of life OR perceptions of reality

"By diving I could evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods and get away home."

"He closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children."

"They hurt his ear like the thrust of a knife: he feared he would shriek. What he heard was the ticking of his watch."

"Striking through the thought of his dear ones was 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."

Here’s how each line from the passage supports the developing theme:

**The preciousness of life:**

- **"He closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children."**
This line emphasizes the importance of his loved ones and the value he places on life, reflecting on what he cherishes most in his final moments.

- **"By diving I could evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods and get away home."**
This line illustrates his desire to survive and return to his family, highlighting the preciousness of life and his will to live.

**Perceptions of reality:**

- **"Striking through the thought of his dear ones was 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."**
This line illustrates the confusion and surreal quality of his final moments, illustrating how reality becomes distorted.

- **"They hurt his ear like the thrust of a knife: he feared he would shriek. What he heard was the ticking of his watch."**
This line emphasizes the intensity of his perceptions in a moment of extreme stress, contrasting his anticipation of death with the mundane reality of a ticking watch, deepening the theme of perceptions of reality.

**Summary:**

1. **The preciousness of life**:
- "By diving I could evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods and get away home."
- "He closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children."

2. **Perceptions of reality**:
- "Striking through the thought of his dear ones was 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."
- "They hurt his ear like the thrust of a knife: he feared he would shriek. What he heard was the ticking of his watch."

Most pieces of literature have multiple _____ that interact and build upon one another to give meaning to the text. They are broadly stated and often have _____ ideas about the human experience.

Most pieces of literature have multiple **themes** that interact and build upon one another to give meaning to the text. They are broadly stated and often have **universal** ideas about the human experience.

What is one way readers can analyze the development of themes in a literary text?(1 point)

Responses

by researching stories about the human experience
by researching stories about the human experience

by looking for the author’s direct messages
by looking for the author’s direct messages

by defining key words and terms to promote understanding
by defining key words and terms to promote understanding

by analyzing the author’s choice of details
by analyzing the author’s choice of details

The most effective response for analyzing the development of themes in a literary text is:

**by analyzing the author’s choice of details**

This approach allows readers to see how specific elements contribute to the broader themes presented in the work.