Blizzard Bag Activity – An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
English – Mrs. Cooper
FRESHMAN: Answer each question completely and use textual support where necessary.
Write in complete sentences and use proper grammar.
SOPHOMORES: Answer any five of the following questions AND write a 3.5 essay using a
claim of your choosing about the story’s theme. "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" themes
include the realities of war, the suddenness of death, the fluidity of time, and the distortion of
reality and illusion. Introduce the title and author of the story in the intro paragraph and use at
least two pieces of textual support in each of your three body paragraphs. Make sure you write
your thesis statement as we have practiced. State your claim and list your three main points in
your thesis.
1. What is about to happen to the man?
2. What is Death? How should Death be received?
3. What does the man who is about to be hanged look like? What do his clothes reveal about
him? What aspect of his appearance is surprising? Use textual support to bolster your
answer.
4. What sound did the man seem to hear? What effect did the sound have on him? What was
he actually hearing? Use textual support to bolster your answer.
5. What was the man unable to do? What did he long to do? Use textual support to bolster
your answer.
6. What does Farquhar have in mind?
7. Who is the soldier in the gray uniform? What is the importance of the revelation of his
identity?
8. What thought does Farquhar have as he rises to the surface of the water?
9. In what state are Farquhar's senses? What sensory details does he notice? Use textual
support to bolster your answer.
10. What does Farquhar notice about the marksman? What does he fear this means? Is the
superstition he had heard true?
11. What sound does Farquhar hear? What does he take it to mean?
12. What causes Farquhar's delight and contentment?
13. What description is given of Farquhar? What image does this description bring to mind?
14. What is revealed in the last paragraph about Farquhar's actions?