Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Did the ending surprise you? Why or why not?
- How long does it take for Farquhar to die?
- Why does the verb tense change from past tense to present tense in the second to last paragraph?
- The story demonstrates the protocol and enactment of military justice. Is Bierce commenting on military law?
- How should civilians who participate in war be treated? Like civilians? Like soldiers?
- Is Ambrose Bierce biased toward one side of the Civil War? Does the narrator describe the Union soldiers more positively than Farquhar, or vice versa?