Admin What is the theme of the horsemen in the sky?
In ‘A Horseman in the Sky,’ Ambrose Bierce explores the theme of duty and family. When Carter Druse tells his father that he is going to join the Union army, his father is incredibly disappointed that his only son is engaging in what he considers a treasonous act against his home state of Virginia.
What is the summary of the A Horseman in the Sky?
“A Horseman in the Sky” highlights the destructive impact of the war on a single family. The central character is a young Virginian, named Carter Druse, who decides to fight for the Union, betraying his state. He finds himself unavoidably having to kill a Confederate horseman spy, who is his father.
What happens when Carter wakes up a horseman in the sky?
Carter discovered he was very much afraid, even though he knew the enemy soldier could not see him hiding in the bushes. Suddenly the horse moved, pulling back its head from the edge of the cliff. Carter was completely awake now. He raised his gun, pushing its barrel through the bushes.
Why did Druse contemplate on shooting the Horseman?
Druse has his hand on his rifle ready to fire, they look into eachother’s eyes before Druse, after hesitating, decides it is his duty to kill the Confederate horseman spy to protect the Union’s position. A sargeant who heard the shot interviews Druse, who confesses that the man he killed was his father.
Why does a horseman in the sky have a surprise ending?
Ambrose Bierce’s use of a surprise ending in ”A Horseman in the Sky” provides a powerful perspective on the story’s main conflict. Carter Druse, a Southerner, decides to join the Union army, establishing the story’s minor conflict. The story opens with Carter asleep at his post as a sentinel.
What is the major conflict in the story The Horseman?
The major conflict is a moral conflict, one of man vs. self; Carter must choose whether or not to shoot the soldier. What makes the story so impactful is that the soldier on the horse is Carter’s father. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
What is Ambrose Bierce’s purpose in a horseman in the sky?
In the short story ‘A Horseman in the Sky,’ Ambrose Bierce, a former Union soldier, explores the meaning of duty and family using irony and imagery. Let’s learn more about this story. The story begins with a Union soldier named Carter Druse struggling to stay awake at his duty post.
Why is the Horseman standing still in the afternoon sun?
The horseman is standing still and looks so picturesque and dignified in the afternoon sun that Druse is initially unsure if he is entirely awake. It seems to him that perhaps he has somehow slept until the end of the war and is now staring at a monument that has been erected in memoriam.