Mercy Thacker is so excited for high school!
Job # 3 - Literature Connections
This is a story about something that happened during war. My sister is a Marine that went three times to Afghanistan. I talked to her about this story. Farquhar was concerned about his family. My sister said when you realize you may never see your family again you feel a deep longing for them. She also said in dangerous situations your senses are on super alert. Farquhar seemed to notice everything as he waited to die. The Union soldiers seemed so relaxed when they were getting ready to hang Farquhar. She said after being attacked by the enemy and seeing yo ur friends and comrades injured or killed, it's not so difficult to watch someone die, even if he is a civilian if he is working against you. War in the past or today is always scary. I never want to live through war. I'm glad I talked to my sister about this.
Job #2- Thinking Question
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 3 Farquhar says, " To be hanged and drowned, that is not so bad; but I do not wish to be shot. No; I will not be shot; that is not fair." Bierce suggests that being shot is an awful way to die, but then he tells how horrible it is to hang and drown. ( keen, poignant agonies; intolerable temperature; feeling was torment ; direst pang; anguish) Why doesn't he want to be shot? Wouldn't that be quicker and less painful?
EXCELLENT QUESTION, MERCY!!! I don't think that it can be logically answered, because I don't believe that Farquhar was thinking logically at this point. Furthermore, this is a dream, and I'm pretty sure everyone has probably had a crazy dream that made no sense whatsoever.
DeleteThat's a great question Mercy! To be honest I have no idea! I do wonder if it has to do with something like Fahrquhar did not feel worthy to die by a bullet. Maybe he thought that since he wasn't in the army, he did not deserve to die by a bullet. Maybe that was Fahrquhar's thought process? I would love to hear how you guys thought of it! To us it is way better to die almost instantly than he hanged and suffer for a long time, being slowly deprived of oxygen.
ReplyDeleteElsah, I think your third and fourth sentences hit the nail right on the head! Due to the author's lack of explanation (the only reason Farquhar gives is "No; I will not be shot; that is not fair."), I think that is the most plausible conclusion.
DeleteAlso Mercy, I'm wondering for the future if you should post your answer like you did for Job#1. In the same spot. I believe we are currently under you "autobiography" section. If you have questions, perhaps Mrs. Jones can be of assistance. I just want to make sure others can see your question because it was awesome!!!
ReplyDeleteGood question, Mercy. Reading the story, I have found Farquhar's opinion puzzling as well. Based on the phrasing "that is not fair," I agree with Elsah that Farquhar may have thought he wasn't worthy enough to die like a soldier (Chapter II says Farquhar was very humble). Do you think it's possible that Peyton Farquhar also wanted his dying for the Southern cause to be his legacy and inspiration to other Confederates to do the same? (see my response to Elsah's "Line Illuminator")
ReplyDeleteMaybe, Joshua. I will say that, due to the Confederacy's lack of manpower, they couldn't afford to become a nation of martyrs. While Farquhar may have wanted his death to be his legacy and an "inspiration to other Confederates to do the same", his death was an example the Confederates could not afford to follow.
DeleteMercy, I agree! I think that it was strange that Fahrquhar would choose drowning or hanging over being shot! But as Joshua and Elsah said, it was probably because being shot was such an everyday way to die for the common soldier. Quite possibly, Fahrquhar thought that he was superior to a common soldier and thought that he would rather die in a more “noble” way
ReplyDeleteThat's possible, too, Claire. But I doubt that Farquhar thought he was "superior" to a common soldier and that being shot was too "low" for him because the last sentence of the first paragraph in Chapter II makes him sound to humble to think like that.
DeleteTrue... good use of context Joshua. He doesn't seem like the type to think of himself as too good for something. It is interesting to speculate though!
DeleteI think that Joshua's skepticism is well founded. The sentence he referred to says (in part): "No service was too humble for him to perform in the aid of the South, no adventure too perilous for him to undertake if consistent with the character of a civilian who was at heart a soldier..."
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