Analysis Of Chickamauga, By Ambrose Bierce

Chickamauga, Ambrose Bierce’s short story, begins with a little boy adventuring in the woods, pretend playing at war. The story shifts from the playful wanderings of the boy to integrating the actual horrific reality of a nearby battle’s aftermath. Such change does not immediately impact the boy, who continues playing even as the terrifying scene unfolds around him. This passage occurs towards the end of the story, when the child has been fully immersed into the gruesome chaos around him. It begins with “The fire”, identifying the source of the “strange red light” (p. 408) that was introduced a few paragraphs before. The next part orients the reader, and perhaps the child, to their location relative to the fire and within the woods. It is difficult to discern whether this direct tone of narration is the narrative voice conversing with the audience, or if this is information the child has finally realized. However, the reader is aware that beyond the woods, at the fire’s location, is the child’s home, based on information given in previous paragraphs. Since this is not explicitly stated, it is assumed that the child has not realized this unfortunate circumstance. Use of dramatic irony here …show more content…
The candid nature of the voice jolts the reader out of the child’s vision, pulling them back into reality. It removes the curtain of romanticism, exposing readers to the horrors of war. In using the semicolon, this short phrase is expanded upon, because the stones are not only red from blood, but from blood belonging to wounded soldiers. The “less desperately wounded” suggests that only some of the soldiers made it that far, and there were more injured ones who were unable to cross. But even in crossing the creek, the chances of their survival are low due to the fire burning ahead of them outside the