Answer:
The two statements that best identify themes of the text are:
B. The fear of death can affect how we perceive and experience time.
F. War causes people to act in sinister and desperate ways.
Step-by-step explanation:
"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is a short story by American author Ambrose Bierce. The main character, Peyton Farquhar, is tricked into trying to burn a bridge, for which he is condemned to be hanged.
When the time of his execution comes, Farquhar experiences time in different manner. The brief seconds it would take him to die with a broken neck were enough for him to hallucinate about escaping and going back home. Of course, the narrator does not reveal that at first. Readers are led to believe Farquhar has truly escaped, and that the journey back to his wife took a long time. In fact, it is his fear of death that makes a brief moment seem to last so long. Having that in mind, we can choose letter B as one of the themes in the story.
The second theme is related to how war affects people's actions. Farquhar was living a peaceful life alongside his wife. But, knowing his country is at war, and being faithful to the confederate cause, Farquhar is willing to risk that comfort to burn down a bridge, so that Union soldiers cannot cross. If there weren't a war, it is doubtful that he would have done anything to jeopardize his and others' lives. This theme is expressed by letter F.