Question

Which sentence refers to the reality of Farquhar's situation in the dream sequence in section 3 of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"?

(a)[They tore it away and thrust it fiercely aside, its undulations resembling those of a water snake.] "Put it back, put it back!" He thought he shouted these words to his hands, for the undoing of the noose had been succeeded by the direst pang that he had yet experienced.

(b) [His neck ached horribly; his brain was on fire, his heart, which had been fluttering faintly, gave a great leap, trying to force itself out at his mouth.]

His whole body was racked and wrenched with an insupportable anguish! But his disobedient hands gave no heed to the command.

(c)[They beat the water vigorously with quick, downward strokes, forcing him to the surface.]

(d)[He felt his head emerge; his eyes were blinded by the sunlight; his chest expanded convulsively, and with a supreme and crowning agony his lungs engulfed a great draught of air, which instantly he expelled in a shriek!}

Answer 1

The sentence refers to the reality of Farquhar's situation in the dream sequence in section 3 of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is the first sentence which is "Put it back, put it back!" He thought he shouted these words to his hands, for the undoing of the noose had been succeeded by the direst pang that he had yet experienced. I hope my answer has come to your help.

Answer 2

I believe letter B to be the best option: His neck ached horribly; his brain was on fire, his heart, which had been fluttering faintly, gave a great leap, trying to force itself out at his mouth.

His whole body was racked and wrenched with an insupportable anguish! But his disobedient hands gave no heed to the command.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce, Farquhar is being hanged for trying to burn a bridge down and prevent enemy soldiers from crossing it. The story takes place during the American Civil War, and Farquhar is a Confederacy supporter.

When he is pushed from the bridge to be hanged, Farquhar dreams of freedom for the very brief moment he has before the noose breaks his neck. He dreams of escaping and swimming back to his home, his family. Thus, the events narrated in relation to his escape are all imaginary. Still, there is some reality in the pain described. Farquhar certainly felt a momentary excruciating pain, impossible to ignore, to the point that such feeling was included in his dream:

His neck ached horribly; his brain was on fire, his heart, which had been fluttering faintly, gave a great leap, trying to force itself out at his mouth.

The probable reaction of a person feeling such pain is to try and reach for the noose, to loosen it. He couldn't do it, since his hands were tied:

His whole body was racked and wrenched with an insupportable anguish! But his disobedient hands gave no heed to the command.

In the dream, this situation is transformed. He frees his hands and swims back home. When he is about to hug his wife, he feels "a stunning blow upon the back of the neck". That's when his neck breaks, in reality. Farquhar is dead, having never escaped.