Assignment

Study questions about Ambrose Bierce: "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"

1. characterize Peyton Farquhar, if you think Bierce makes him sympathetic . consider the ways in which Bierce does so.

2. is the ending a complete surprise? do some passages in the story suggest- at least on rereading -that perhaps Farquhar has not escaped? if so, point out a few.

Study questions about Tobias Wolff: "Bullet in the Brain"

1. How would you characterize the Anders home we see in the first part of "bullet in the brain" (i.e. up to the place where Wolff indicates a break)? how would you characterize the youthful Anders, the Anders whom we see in the second part of the story?

2. The second part itself can be thought of as having of as having two parts - first, what Anders did not remember, and second, what Anders did remember. suppose these two parts (of the second part) had been reserved. what would the story gain or lose?