"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce Use the passage from "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" to answer the question. Drag each line from the passage to the developing theme it supports. (2 points) the preciousness of life perceptions of reality:: "He closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children." :: "By diving I could evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods and get away home." :: "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."

Answer 1

Sure! Here’s how the lines from the passage can be matched to the developing themes of "the preciousness of life" and "perceptions of reality":

The Preciousness of Life:

• "He closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children."
• "By diving I could evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods and get away home."

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."

This categorization helps to illustrate the central themes explored in Ambrose Bierce's story.