Job 3- Bierce and Irving

By simply looking at the two authors writing styles we could be quick to say they are totally different. Washington Irving was a romanticism/Gothic writer. The romanticism/gothic style emphasizes feelings, it threw logic or reason out the window to instead write based on emotions and intuition. When we read the Short Story “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” we were able to notice those characteristics of Irving’s writing style come out. Ambrose Bierce writings were of the Realism style. He focused on reality and didn’t fluff anything up. Realism is based on events rather than the character’s feelings of those events. It also leaves the interpretation of the story up to the readers. In Romanticism the author basically tells the reader how to feel about the story since they put so much of their own feeling into the story that those feelings often become our own about the story and characters in it. The Realism style comes out dramatically in Ambrose’s short story “An Occurrence at owl Creek Bridge”.  

If we look closely however there are similarities between the two author’s writings. Both men had a satirical side to their writing. It comes out a lot bolder in Bierce’s writings but it is present also in Irving’s. They both insert some humor as well into their stories, even their more serious tales. They both wrote of their experiences. Bierce’s were based on his time in the Civil War and Irving wrote on his travels in America. They are also known as two of the greatest American Authors.

 

Job 2- thinking question

     My thinking question is, why do you think the Author goes into so much detail on Peyton's swim down the creek, his walk through the forest, and his journey down the road; yet the Author "kills" Peyton right before he could hug his wife?
     Peyton's whole journey was taking him home and his last thoughts were of his family. "...By diving I could evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods and get away home. My home, thank God, is as yet outside their lines; my wife and little ones are still beyond the invader's farthest advance." Yet just as he was reaching home and about to hug his wife Ambrosh ends it with Peyton experiencing a stunning blow, blinding lights, booming sounds, and finally stating that Peyton was dead.

Job one- Time

"Striking through the thought of his dear ones was sound which he could neither ignore nor understand, a sharp, distinct, metallic percussion like the stroke of a blacksmith's hammer upon the anvil; it had the same ringing quality. He wondered what it was, and whether immeasurably distant or near by -- it seemed both. Its recurrence was regular, but as slow as the tolling of a death knell. He awaited each new stroke with impatience and -- he knew not why -- apprehension. The intervals of silence grew progressively longer; the delays became maddening. With their greater infrequency the sounds increased in strength and sharpness. They hurt his ear like the trust of a knife; he feared he would shriek. What he heard was the ticking of his watch."

     I love this passage. Peyton Fahrquhar was standing on that nearly unsupported board about to die in a noose and yet he heard his watch ticking the time as it passed. Peyton was unable to tell what the noise was at first, whether the sound was coming from far or near, but he did realize that it was regular and on going. Once you apply all those aspects to time it makes a lot of sense.
    
     In our lives we often know time is passing but we aren't paying attention, which can be applied to Peyton not knowing what the noise was. As he didn't know what the noise was we often don't realize and acknowledge time is passing when it is.

      It is often hard to determine the length of time whether it is near or far. When we were younger we thought time will just go on forever, but was we get older we begin to realize time does have an end for each of us on earth. The time between however is often hard to distinguish.

     One thing we are all confident on is that time doesn't stop for anyone and will continue for eternity, it is regular and ongoing. If you ever can't sleep at night and need something to thing about try thinking about eternity. We can't comprehend it no matter how hard we try. Our understanding of time is the passing hours on a clock or the days in a year. However, in the big picture, time is eternity. The Bible says in II Corinthians 4:18 "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." The Bibles itself says that we can not see the things which are eternal. But we do know the definition of eternal and that is; eternal: lasting or existing forever; without end or beginning. Therefore we know that time will continue forever and continue to be a regular. occurrence.

     Another interesting aspect of this passage is that Peyton had apprehension to the passing of time, until he became so aware of it that it began to drive him mad. And as the time of his death loomed closer and closer the passing of time began to increase in it's "strength and sharpness". This aspect is one that I find very interesting but am having a hard time considering it sense I have never been in that place. Any thoughts?
 
P.S.  Sorry that was so long, I got carried away. I promise I'll try not to be so long winded all the time. :)  

 

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." - The fellowship of the Ring