The paragraph reveals that the cultural context of the story is deeply influenced by the strict military discipline and harsh penalties during the Civil War era. It highlights the severe consequences soldiers faced for failing to meet their duties, specifically the possibility of execution for sleeping on watch. This reflects the broader themes of duty, honor, and the harsh realities of war that were prevalent during that time in American history. The emphasis on "just and legal penalty" underscores the seriousness with which military orders and discipline were viewed in that cultural framework.
What does this paragraph reveal about the story's cultural context?
(1 point)
Western Virginia was considered neutral territory during the Civil War.
Soldiers in the Vietnam War who did not follow orders were considered criminals.
Exhaustion was widespread among military troops during the Korean War.
Soldiers during the Civil War faced execution if they did not fulfill their duties.
A Horseman in the Sky by Ambrose Bierce
'One sunny afternoon in the autumn of the year 1861, a soldier lay in a clump of laurel by the side of a road in West Virginia. He lay at full length, upon his stomach, his feet resting upon the toes, his head upon the left forearm. His extended right hand loosely grasped his rifle. But for the somewhat methodical disposition of his limbs and a slight rhythmic movement of the cartridge box at the back of his belt he might have been thought to be dead. He was asleep at his post of duty. But if detected he would be dead shortly afterward, that being the just and legal penalty of his crime.
"A Horseman in the Sky" by Ambrose Bierce
1 answer