Read the following excerpt from "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce below:

Question

"His neck was in pain and lifting his hand to it found it horribly swollen. He knew that it had a circle of black where the rope had bruised it. His eyes felt congested; he could no longer close them. His tongue was swollen with thirst; he relieved its fever by thrusting it forward from between his teeth into the cold air. How softly the turf had carpeted the untraveled avenue—he could no longer feel the roadway beneath his feet!

Doubtless, despite his suffering, he had fallen asleep while walking, for now he sees another scene—perhaps he has merely recovered from a delirium. He stands at the gate of his own home. All is as he left it, and all bright and beautiful in the morning sunshine. He must have traveled the entire night. As he pushes open the gate and passes up the wide white walk, he sees a flutter of female garments; his wife, looking fresh and cool and sweet, steps down from the veranda to meet him. At the bottom of the steps she stands waiting, with a smile of ineffable joy, an attitude of matchless grace and dignity. Ah, how beautiful she is! He springs forwards with extended arms. As he is about to clasp her he feels a stunning blow upon the back of the neck; a blinding white light blazes all about him with a sound like the shock of a cannon—then all is darkness and silence!

Peyton Fahrquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge."

Question 1
What literary device is being employed in paragraph 1?(1 point)
Responses

Dialect
Dialect

Foreshadowing
Foreshadowing

Flashback
Flashback

Allusion

Answer 1

The literary device being employed in paragraph 1 is foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is a technique used by authors to give hints or clues about events that will happen later in the story. In this excerpt, the description of Peyton's physical sensations and the surreal quality of his surroundings suggest that something is not quite right, hinting at the story's later revelation of his death.

Answer 2

Re-read paragraph 2 from the excerpt. What is the unusual twist of fate that happens after?(1 point)
Responses

Peyton Fahrquhar falls into the river and flees
Peyton Fahrquhar falls into the river and flees

Peyton Fahrquhar wakes up surrounded by his wife and children
Peyton Fahrquhar wakes up surrounded by his wife and children

Peyton Fahrquhar nearly escapes death, only to get caught and shot
Peyton Fahrquhar nearly escapes death, only to get caught and shot

Peyton Fahrquhar dies via hanging and never actually escaped

Answer 3

The unusual twist of fate that happens after is that Peyton Fahrquhar dies via hanging and never actually escaped. This is revealed in the last line of the excerpt, where it states, "Peyton Fahrquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge."