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Historical Context in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

Historical Context Examples in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge:

I

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"My home, thank God, is as yet outside their lines; my wife and little ones are still beyond the invader's farthest advance..."   (I)

The Union army has advanced into Alabama, but Union troops have not yet reached the man's home.

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"Federal army..."   (I)

This refers to the Union Army, which fought in the American Civil War between the Union and the Confederacy (1861-1865).

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"will be summarily hanged..."   (II)

Execution during the Civil War took different forms for combatants and civilians. Combatants—soldiers wearing their uniforms—who engaged in spying or sabotage, were entitled to be executed by firing squad, whereas civilians were hanged. Hanging was considered a dishonorable way to die.

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"the fall of Corinth..."   (II)

Confederate forces were defeated in the Battle of Corinth, which occurred at Corinth, Mississippi, on October 3-4, 1862.

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

This ending--horrible and surprising--is characteristic of Ambrose Bierce's short stories, particularly his Civil War stories, which all end with an ironic twist that often surprises the reader because of the matter-of-fact tone Bierce uses to describe a horrific scene.

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"AEolian harps..."   (III)

These are harps that make music when wind passes over the strings. Originating in the ancient world, they are named after Aeolus, the Greek god of the wind.

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"martinet's..."   (III)

A martinet is a strict disciplinarian, especially a military officer who is very strict in enforcing regulations.

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"the voice of Niagara..."   (III)

This refers to Niagara Falls, the common name for three waterfalls located at the international border between Ontario, Canada, and the state of New York.

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