A prosperous land- and slave-owner
from an esteemed Alabama family, Farquhar is a civilian and an ardent supporter of the Confederacy. He assumes a kind expression at his execution, despite the grimness of his situation.
Is Peyton Farquhar a sympathetic character?
Farquhar plays a significant role in the story even though she speaks no lines of dialogue. Interestingly, she serves to make Farquhar
both a more sympathetic character
and a less sympathetic character. The fact that Farquhar wants to “fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children” makes him a sympathetic character.
What does Peyton’s wife represent?
Farquhar’s wife emerges as
an embodiment of innocence and domestic safety
, although throughout the story, she is an almost entirely imagined presence. … She stands as a stereotypical feminine ideal, subservient, beautiful, silent, and ultimately dispensable in the name of Farquhar’s higher cause.
What is Peyton Farquhar’s profession?
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.
Why is Peyton Farquhar deceived?
Peyton Farquhar is tricked by the scout
because the man is dressed like a Confederate soldier
.
Why is Peyton Farquhar the protagonist?
Peyton Farquhar, the protagonist of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” is a
shadowy figure
who eventually becomes a two-sided character in the story. … Unprepared and foolish, Farquhar allows his desire for renown to lead him right into his captors’ hands.
Is Farquhar a hero?
So, if the reader takes the perspective of the South, Farquhar is a hero,
a man who risks his life for the rights of his countrymen
. … From a Confederate viewpoint, Peyton Farquar–the protagonist of Ambrose Bierce’s unforgettable short story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”–is a hero.
What happens as Peyton Farquhar reaches for his wife?
Farquhar reaches
the gate of his property and sees his wife moving towards him
. Just as he is about to reach her, he feels a horrible blow against the back of his neck and everything goes dark. Farquhar is dead.
What does Peyton Farquhar look like?
He’s a handsome Alabama plantation owner, a gentleman with “a well-fitting frock coat” and “a
mustache and pointed beard
, but no whiskers.” He comes from a prosperous background and carries the air of an aristocrat about him.
Do we know whether Farquhar actually burned the bridge?
Farquhar was caught trying to burn down the bridge
in order to keep the army from crossing it, and the scout lured him there by telling him how the timber seems quite flammable. Once Farquhar’s hanging began taking place in part three, the story took its dark turn, and it is apparent that the story had truly begun.
Why didnt Peyton Farquhar join the army?
Despite his affinity for the Confederacy and his devotion to the Southern cause, Peyton
does not enlist
in the Confederate Army. … This comment suggests that Peyton Farquhar was too imperious, or arrogant and domineering, to enlist in the Confederate Army.
Who comes to Farquhar?
Peyton Farquhar was a planter and Southern sympathizer who, although he was unfit for military duty, longed to do his part for the Confederacy. He was visited one day by
“a grey-clad soldier
” who asked for water and revealed to Farquhar that the Yankees had reached Owl Creek Bridge and…
Why does Farquhar close his eyes as the soldiers prepare to hang him?
He shuts his eyes
to push away the distractions of his present situation and focus more intently on thoughts of his wife and children
. … These thoughts have barely registered in Farquhar’s mind when the captain nods to the sergeant and the sergeant steps away from the board.
What does Farquhar get caught in while in the water?
Ironically, although he envisions himself as
driftwood
of sorts, it is driftwood that led to his capture in the first place. When Farquhar initially encounters the undercover Northern scout, the scout advises Farquhar to set fire to the pieces of wood that the winter flood swept to the base of the bridge.
Does Farquhar ever really escape?
It is revealed that
Farquhar never escaped at all
; he imagined the entire third part of the story during the time between falling through the bridge and the noose breaking his neck.
How do the soldiers try to stop Farquhar?
The soldiers shoot at Farquhar and fire a cannon at him. How do the soldiers try to stop Farquhar after he drops into the water? A___, Peyton Farquhar, is
being hanged
for attempted sabotage. While he is being hanged, the rope seems to break, and he seems to escape and return home to his_.
