Abstract This paper looks at the writer Ambrose Bierce. It provides a brief biography and looks at his various works. Critical opinions of Bierce are discussed, as well as the themes and literary devices Bierce uses in specific pieces.
From the Paper "Although Ambrose Bierce deserves a significant place in the American heritage, literary histories have done little to honor him properly. His stories have had little influence on modern American society (Mencken 264). Ambrose Bierce was born on June 24, 1842 in Ohio (Starett 42). He was the son of a farmer and a descendant of a seventeenth-century New England family. Bierce served in the Union Army during the Civil War and he based his war stories upon his experiences. In 1868 Bierce published his first poems and prose in the Californian. On July 11, 1914 he was presumed dead after he disappeared during the battle of Ojinaga (Grenander 13-16)."
Abstract This is a detailed examination of Stephen Ambrose, and Douglas Brinkley's book "Rise to Globalism" that deals with American foreign policy from 1938 through the Clinton administration. The author looks at the different styles of both authors, and the topics they they cover independently in the book and contrast their evaluation of U.S. foreign policy, with three other books that have been written by different historians on the same subject, in order to garner whether or not the information they are presented is accurate.
From the Paper "According to Brinkley, economically the U.S. changed from being self-sufficient to being dependent on other countries for economic success, especially the oil producing nations. In 1973 all of the United States was gripped in an oil crisis causing numerous economic problems and long lines as people waited to get what gas they could. And all of this was not produced by some sort of actual shortage of oiling the earth, but an angry OPEC, which was a group of middle eastern oil tycoons. OPEC put an embargo on the U.S. and thus our global reliance on other countries oil sent us reeling. Before our global expansion no other country had this much control over the U.S. and it's economy."
Abstract This paper describes the arguments and quotes relevant passages of the debate between St. Ambrose and a Roman Senator Symmachus about the purpose and aim of Christianity for the Roman Empire. While the former argues for ascendency of the religion, the latter is for tolerance. It presents a very interesting facet of the early development of Christianity as it developed from relative obscurity to become a dominant force shaping historical developments in the Roman Empire and the Western World.
From the Paper Superficially, the debate between Saint Ambrose and Quintus Aurelius Symmachus centers on reinstating an altar to the Roman goddess Victory in the Senate building, and public funding of the pagan cults - issues the under the discretionary power of the emperor Valentinian. In reality, however, the focus of the debate centers on Christian toleration of state pagan religions, and emperor's responsibilities as a member of the Christian Church. Arguing from a position of relative weakness, Symmachus pleads for toleration and preservation of the ancestral institutions and laws hitherto advantageous to the emperor and the country; Ambrose, on the other hand, affirms the absolute truth of Christianity (an invariant position against toleration in the religious sphere) and compels the emperor to actively oppose paganism (a position which has varied through time in respect to the relationship between Church and State).
Abstract This paper illustrates the works of author Ambrose Bierce, novelist of the Civil War, poet and sharp-tongued columnist for a San Francisco newspaper. The paper exemplifies Bierce's work by analyzing "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge", written in 1898, that includes a historical setting with science fiction elements: A Southern planter, Peyton Farquhar, is about to be hanged by Union soldiers for acting as a spy. The author feels that Bierce's death bears some resemblance to the stories: He marched off to the Mexican Civil War and was never heard of again nor does anyone know what happened to him.
From the Paper "In spite of the horror he saw on the Civil War battlefields, apparently Bierce felt that in the long run, it was good and honorable to fight in just wars. In spite of the seriousness of Bierce's wounds from the civil war, he lived into his seventies. Always an adventurer, he departed at that late age to join the Mexican Civil War in 1913. He wrote to his daughter, "If you hear of my being stood up against a Mexican wall and shot to rags, please know that I think that a pretty good way to depart this life. It beats old age, disease or falling down the cellar stairs. To be a Gringo in Mexico- -ah, that is euthanasia!" "
Abstract The paper examines Ambrose Bierce's short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." The paper looks at the author's style of lyric realism and the use of irony. The paper reviews the main character and the plot.
From the Paper "Ambrose Bierce wrote "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" in order to crawl inside the minds of her audience and psychologically play with their brains just to find out what might happen at the other end. The detailed characterization of the unlucky protagonist, as well as the elegantly crafted style of the narrative work together produce the irony that so often characterizes Bierce's writing and causes us to marvel at its composition."
Abstract This literary study compares and contrasts the various aspects of war that are depicted in "Lilacs Last in the Door-yard Bloom'd" by Walt Whitman and "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. In similar ways, Whitman's work is an elegiac poem that honors the death of Abraham Lincoln, which Bierce's short story also exemplifies in his tale of the execution of Peyton Farquhar. However, both stories reflect contrasting sides of the Civil War conflict in how they remember and honor those that fought for both sides. In essence, both of these wartime literary works depict death, but have profoundly different points of view in relation to the ideological duality of the Civil War.
Abstract This paper discusses how the stories William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" and Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" compare in so many ways. It looks at similarities such as the setting of war, the theme of death and the the love that the characters of Emily and Peyton have for their families.
From the Paper "Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is a story of a man who breaks the law and dies. The story describes why the man was hanged, the life after death and his life before death. The irony in this story is great in the fact that that the entire story is a description of the man's "great escape." In reality they are describing what has happened in his afterlife after he is hanged. The story proceeds to tell about how he was freed from the rope that was supposed to kill him and how he gets away. He swims with all of his strength until he can reach the point where it is safe to get out and be free of the bullets. The author depicts beautiful scenery that ironically seems heavenly with "the fragrance of their blooms," and "the wind made in their branches the music of Aeolian harps," when describing the sounds this man hears. "
Abstract The greatest bishop of the West in the 4th century AD was probably St. Ambrose of Milan. During most of Ambrose's episcopate, Milan was the capital of the Western Empire, and he was the friend and counselor to three very different emperors, Gratian, the boy Valentian, and Theodosius. This paper examines what Ambrose's confrontations with these Roman rulers tell us about relations between church and empire in the West in the late 4th century.
From the Paper "One of Symmachus? main appeals was to judge things on the amount of time they were enforced "long period gives authority to religious customs" and "to avoid precedents which were soon abolished" (Symmachus). Ambrose, on the other hand, views passage of time in terms of progress "all things have made progress toward what is better" (Ambrose) and change as advantageous "there is no shame in passing to better things" (Ambrose). Thus the two men are shown to have come from diametrically opposed positions; Ambrose seeks worldly substantiation of progress, an idea permeable through Christianity, whereas Symmachus desires a small step back, and thereafter maintenance of status quo, a characteristic of state-sponsored pagan religions."
Abstract This paper explains the content and style of Carl Sandburg's poem, "Prairie Waters at Night"; Ambrose Bierce's short story, "Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"; Steven Crane's novel, "The Red Badge of Courage;" and Arthur Miller's play, "Death of a Salesman". The author points out that Carl Sandburg's poem, "Prairie Waters at Night," emphasizes the theme of the tranquility of waters at night by using repetition, alliteration, and sentence length to convey the sensations of a calming night by the water through sound. The paper relates that the works by Ambrose Bierce and Stephen Crane demonstrate the use of strong narrative; whereas, in Arthur Miller's play, "Death of a Salesman", the Requiem offers incredible ironies.
Table of Contents
Carl Sandburg's Poem, "Prairie Waters at Night"
Ambrose Bierce's Short Story, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek"
Steven Crane's Novel, "The Red Badge of Courage"
Arthur Miller's Play, "Death of a Salesman"
From the Paper "Alliteration is also a technique that Sandburg utilizes successfully in this poem. The sound of the letter "l" is particularly effective in that it has a hypnotic quality about it. In the words willows, and laughter, we get a feeling of relaxation and ease associated with this scene. The vowel sound in the words long and drowse are also a form alliteration that forces to read the poem slowly. Another technique of sound that the poet uses is long sentences and line lengths. In this way, he forces us to read the sentences slowly, which reinforces the slow, tranquil mood he is trying to convey."
Abstract This paper studies "Citizen Soldiers" by Stephen Ambrose, a book about the front-line soldiers fighting in World War II . The paper explains that the book tells the individual stories of real soldiers, through which Ambrose not only creates a historical account of the war, but also a powerful anti-war statement. The paper focuses on Ambrose's treatment of the soldiers vs. his critique of the military leadership, including Eisenhower.
From the Paper "Stephen Ambrose provides the reader with unique information of the American soldiers who fought in Europe from June 7, 1944 (D-Day) to May 7, 1945, when Germany surrendered. He provides the reader with a remarkable empathy for the men and women about whom he writes, particularly those in the front lines of the battle. I gather from reading the book a close feeling for what it must have been like to be a soldier during this time. He draws upon historical sources, interviews, and oral testimony. Together with this he weaves in strategic plans, tactics, and actual incidents, the successes and the failures, including massive intelligence failures, the cowardly, the heroic, and the accidental, into a coherent narrative."
Tags: war, Germany, Europe, front-line, battle, military, historical, interviews
Abstract This paper examines Stephen E. Ambrose's "Band of Brothers: E Company, 506 Regiment, 101st airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagles Nest" which has turned into a nationwide phenomenon, with an HBO miniseries based on the book. It looks at how the book itself is an intimate and moving look at the men who made up Easy Company, a U.S. Army rifle company who took on some of the toughest and most dangerous assignments during the war in Europe. Specifically, it analyzes and discusses the book, including a background on the author, his biases or preconceptions, gives a clear idea of the book's contents, how the author proves his thesis as well as a critique of the book. It shows how the men of Easy Company became a band of brothers by their close training and combat and how Ambrose carries this theme of brotherhood and courage throughout the book effectively. Clearly, he has a great affection for these brave men, and it shows in the pages of this amazing book.
From the Paper ""Band of Brothers" follows the men of Easy Company, the 506th regiment, the first airborne paratroopers in the U.S. Army. The men of Easy made history from the first day they became a company ? this is one reason Ambrose portrays them for his book. As the men make it through basic training and become a cohesive unit, Ambrose introduces the reader to some members of the company who will play an important role throughout the book, such as Winters, Sobel, Guarnere, and Marlarkey. He follows the men as they learn to parachute, earn their wings, and head off to England for more training before they take part in the Allied landing at D-Day. During the invasion, they jumped into a small French town, and successfully captured a German battery. "With twelve men, what amounted to a squad (later reinforced by Spiers and the others), Company E had destroyed a German battery that was looking straight down causeway No. 2 and onto Utah Beach." "
Abstract "Band of Brothers" is the late historian, Stephen E. Ambrose's real story of Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Paratroopers, who participated in "Operation Overlord," the D-Day Invasion of Normandy, in
German-occupied France, which marked the beginning of the end of the Nazi reign of terror across Europe during World War II. This paper shows that unlike traditional war stories that emphasize the particulars and the outcome of important battles, while all but ignoring the day-to-day reality of the men in the trenches, Ambrose manages to
accomplish both.
From the Paper "This particular theme repeats itself, when Ambrose relates two other episodes involving the loss of life in non-combat mishaps, such as the motor vehicle accident that claimed the life of John Janovec (p.283), as well as the loss of several more Allied soldiers at the hands of a drunken comrade (p.285), both after cessation of all battlefield hostilities. Ambrose includes these events within the context of the story
of the men of Easy Company, but one might also get the distinct impression that the author is also expressing his own complete distaste for human warfare, in general, by detailing all the ways that it claims human life, even beyond actual battlefield tragedies."
Abstract This paper explains that Stephen E. Ambrose and Loren Baritz, both respected history professors and decorated authors, present their insights into the history of foreign policy to help readers get a taste of what really happens before and during war and what the government does afterwards to repair itself. The author points out that the underlying theme in Baritz's "Back Fire" about the Vietnam war is the problem of not only not understanding the Vietnamese culture but also not understanding the change in the American culture of that period. The paper relates that Ambrose, in his book "Rise to Globalism", introduces a broader look on the history of foreign policy from World War II through the first term of the Clinton administration; he uses more statistics and facts and a lot less opinions then Baritz.
From the Paper "This reflects back on American culture. People try to look good, it's a given. No one wants to look bad in front of someone else, so they say the right things and do what is right. When someone does something bad, they deny it, or turn their back on it. War is a necessity, not all things can be reconciled by negotiations. So even though people know this and it's proven throughout history, they try to look good by saying war is evil and nothing good comes from it. This ties in with Baritz' saying about war and culture."
Abstract This paper presents a detailed discussion on several works of literature and the use of the theme of dreams in them. The six works compared, contrasted and analyzed in this paper are: John Keats, " Ode to a Nightingale; "Langston Hughes, "A Dream Deferred;" Samuel Taylor Coleridge's, "Kubla Khan;" Thomas Findley's " Pilgrims; " Bierce Ambrose's " An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge;" and Samuel Taylor Coleridge's " Kubla Khan or, a Vision In a Dream: A Fragment." The writer discusses how each author uses the theme of dreams in their particular piece and then draws comparisons between the other author's works. The paper examines the proper use of dreams in any literary work. Using passages from each of these works, the paper shows how dream themes are used most successfully when dealing with death as a tool to explain the situation leading up to and immediately following the occurrence. The use of dreams often fills in many unanswered questions that may be plaguing the reader as they read a story or poem.
From the Paper "Throughout literary history there have been themes used to underscore a point to the reader. Often times the same theme can mean different things to different authors, and it is played out in different scenarios in their works. The theme of dreams has been a popular theme for literature in the past, especially in short stories and poems. There are six separate works by six different authors, which have used the dream theme to carry out various tasks. Sometimes it is used to allow after death thoughts, other times it is about goals and future desires, but any time a dream theme is used in these six works the author drives home the point of heart filled emotion leading the story."
Abstract Ambrose Bierce successfully de-glamorized war by depicting the grueling realities of battle in an era when war was deemed romantic. The paper describes the story and introduces the main character. The paper analyzes the use of nature in the short story and shows how counting and numbers are used to project the detached tone throughout the setting. The paper demonstrates how a transition is made in the story from one of detachment to one of emotion.
Table of Contents:
Title
Introduction
Use of Descriptors in the Setting
Main Character
Nature
Transition: Detachment to Emotion
Resolution
Conclusion
From the Paper "In his detached style, Bierce relays a story describing the horrors of war after battle. He uses words like "tidying up a bit" to downplay the carnage in the first scene of The Coup De Grace. The narrator's voice is far removed. The attitude is nonchalant, yet the images are gruesomely spectacular. Bodies strewn about are treated with acute indifference."
