JOB #3

LITERATURE CONNECTION

(This is an extra post and may be commented on if wanted to but it is NOT required)

    In An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Ambrose Bierce said that Peyton Farquhar was unable to enlist as a soldier due to "circumstances of an imperious nature [...] unnecessary to relate here" (Chapter II).  I find it interesting that Bierce did not find it necessary to list why Farquhar could not enlist, but merely stated so in his description of the plantation-owner.  

    Farquhar's age and apparent health make it seem like he certainly should be a soldier, and the author says that "he chafed under the inglorious restraint [..] the larger life of the soldier, the opportunity for distinction" (Chapter II).  The text gives the impression that Farquhar wanted to be a soldier and was tired of being cooped up in his house, "longing for the release of his energies" (Chapter II).  This theme of men staying home from battle who should be in battle (involuntary in this case) reminded me of a passage in the Bible, which may not be "literature" technically (as it is the Word of GOD), but I still saw a connection.

    In 2 Samuel Chapter 11, King David stayed home when kings usually went to war, which caused him to commit a sin that consequences lasted him the rest of his life.  I don't want to go into the specifics of David's sin (you can read about it yourself in 2 Samuel 11:1-5), the connection I see is that men who should be in war who stay home make sins or foolish decisions that would not have happened if they had been in war.

    The second connection I saw is that Peyton Farquhar and King David were both good people.  Farquhar acted kindly to a stranger (the Federal scout) and simply wanted to do what was best for his state, and David was one of the best kings that Israel ever had and was called a "man after [GOD's] own heart" (Acts 13:22).  This shows that even good and godly people can make horrible decisions. 

    The third connection that I have found is that in both Farquhar's and King David's cases, their actions resulted in death:  Farquhar's rash decision to set fire to an Union railroad bridge resulted in his hanging, and David's sin resulted in the death of his son (2 Samuel 12:13-20).  Although the actions differed in subject and context, this similarity still stands.

    Do you see a connection between these two characters, despite one is fictional and the other is historical?  Do you think that Ambrose Bierce could have been familiar with this Scriptural passage and modeled part of the plot to his story after this Bible story?  I look forward to hearing all of your thoughts.

 

Comments

  1. MercyNovember 3, 2020 at 6:46 PM

    I really like this post and I'm glad you made a connection to the Bible. Bierce wasn't a Christian so I don't think he tried to model his story after King David. Both Farquhar and David made mistakes, but there are results to own decisions.

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