Discuss the representations of the American Civil War in
the stories of Ambrose Bierce.
Is there truth in the
stories?
How do the stories affect their audience?
What representations of the Civil War does Bierce present? How does this affect the current audience?
What has influenced Bierce to write these stories?/
In what way do the stories represent the American Civil War?
How has the wider community responded to these stories?
Why are the stories so dark and dismal?/
How do the stories affect their audience?
What representations of the Civil War does Bierce present? How does this affect the current audience?
What has influenced Bierce to write these stories?/
In what way do the stories represent the American Civil War?
How has the wider community responded to these stories?
Why are the stories so dark and dismal?/
Ambrose Bierce was an American journalist and short-story
writer who was born on 24th of June 1842. He disappeared in late 1913 or early
1914 after visiting some of the battlefields he fought at in his youth. He
wrote fictional stories detailing his experiences of war.
Bierce displays throughout his stories the idea of country
first, family second, history third. The soldiers are very patriotic and
through this they make decisions that affect their families in negative ways.
This is because they believe in the greater nation and the side for which they
are fighting. When a big battle is fought, the think only in the moment and do
not think of national or personal futures. Emphasising the need for survival,
this idea conveys the ways in which people will act for something they believe
in and also to survive. The desperate actions present a grim picture of the war.
Each story is conveyed through the point of view of a Union
soldier. This is significant as he himself fought on behalf of the Union States
and he was greatly affected by the War. His stories appear to promote the Union
side. His purpose therefore, appears to be to propagate the ideals of the Union
government and give glory to the states, as well as the fallen soldiers. These
purposes are ironic, as Bierce was a cynic and appeared sceptical towards society
as a whole. The following definitions emphasise the cynical nature of Bierce:
"Battle, n. A method of untying with the teeth a
political knot that would not yield to the tongue."[1]
"Government, n. A modern Chronos who devours his own
children. The priest-hood are charged with the duty of preparing them for his
tooth."[2]
"War, n. A
by-product of the arts of peace. The most menacing political conditions is a
period of international amity."
Major themes which influence the cynical nature of Bierce's
stories are his childhood and of course, his experiences during the American
Civil War. He did not care much for his family, as he believed himself to be
neglected. He disliked his brothers greatly, writing in a column about his
brother Aurelius who had died, "A life like this so bright and shining an
example that we are almost sorry he died."[3]
However, he did appreciate his father's library. He once mentioned that
"All that I have I owe to his books."[4]
suggesting that the library was a very heavy influence. His Uncle Lucius, appears
to have inspired Bierce to despise slavery. Under Lucius' guidance, Bierce
joined the Kentucky Military Institute.[5]
This education provided Bierce with knowledge about "draftmanship and
cartography".[6]
The War, in which Bierce used these skills, showed him the fragility of life
and the horrors which humans condemn each other. This is most often viewed as the central cause
of Bierce's cynicism. OR "All his experiences in the war are commonly seen
as the source of his cynical realism."[7]
Ambrose Bierce's stories convey truth mixed with fiction,
amongst the cynicism. For example, One of
the Missing uses the name of Brigadier General William Tecumseh Sherman
(General Sherman) and depicts the "Confederate retreat"[8]
through the fictional character of Private Jerome Searing, who is an "orderly"[9]
for Sherman's army. The story also depicts the "miles of trenchlines"[10]
which it appears Bierce described as "A line of earthworks"[11]
and "little banks of earth scooped out of the slight depression"[12].
Of course, this would only be genuine if Union soldiers had taken over the
Confederate trenches. "Searing pushed forward across the line of abandoned
pits"[13]
gives us evidence to show that this is likely true. It appears that the Atlanta
Campaign is presented as a sort of building site as well as a battlefield. His
stories show how genuine historical settings and characters can be portrayed in
fiction.
In One of the Missing,
Bierce refers to his own injury which occurred on the 23rd of June 1864 at
Kennesaw Mountain[14]
in this sentence: "A smart wrap to the head from a flying fragment of the
splintered post, incurred simultaneously with the frightfully sudden shock to
the nervous system."[15]
Bierce, however, was hit by a bullet, not a splinter of wood. Through this, he
gives his audience an idea of what it would be like to be shot or injured
whilst at war.
Likewise, in his non-fiction recount of the Battle of Shiloh
in What I Saw of Shiloh, he gives a
dismal description of what battle was like. "Here in 1862 were some fields
and a house or two; now there are a national cemetery and other
improvements"[16]
somewhat humorously give an indication of the loses which occurred at Shiloh. According
to Roy Morris Jr., the casualties were "more than had died in the
Revolutionary War, the war of 1812, and the Mexican War put together."[17]
He also goes on to say that "The sights and sounds of Shiloh would stay
with Bierce for the rest of his life, occasioning some of his finest writing
and foreshadowing and directly influencing an entire generation of American
writers, men whose own take on war owed a great deal to his seminal
works."[18] Furthermore,
Bierce portrays the battle as both glorious and dreadful, which, one can
assume, is a description which can be applied to the whole war.
Bierce also portrays men from the South joining the Union
army. This is shown in The Affair at
Coulter's Notch and A Horseman in the
Sky. In both stories, the result of having a family divided by the war is
devastating. "Do you happen to know that Captain Coulter is from the South?"[19]
foreshadows the wreckage in the future. At the end of The Affair at Coulter's Notch, we discover that Coulter's home has
been largely destroyed by guns. He is found cradling his wife and child in the basement
which is not bomb-proof. He was also involved in an argument with his extended
family, just like the main character in A
Horseman in the Sky. In this story however, the main character shoots his
father's horse, causing both his father and the horse to fall off a cliff to
their death. The shock of this occurrence extends both to the young soldier and
his commanding officer. These two stories demonstrate the destructive nature of
war, which Bierce himself has experienced. This portrayal also conveys the
length to which soldiers carried out their duties despite familial connection.
"After firing
his shot, Private Carter Druse reloaded his rifle and resumed his watch. Ten
minutes had hardly passed when a Federal sergeant crept cautiously to him on
hands and knees. Druse neither turned his head nor looked at him, but lay
without motion or sign of recognition.
'Did you fire?' the
sergeant whispered.
'Yes.'
'At what?'
'A horse. It was
standing on yonder rock - pretty far out. You see it is no longer there. It
went over the cliff.'
The man's face was white,
but he showed no other sign of emotion. Having answered, he turned away his
eyes and said no more. The sergeant did not understand.
'See here, Druse?' he
said, after a moment's silence, 'it's no use making a mystery. I order you to
report. Was there anybody on the horse?'
'Yes.'
'Well?'
'My father.'
Ambrose Bierce has had a significant impact on the literary
world. His works and life have been the basis of many new works, such as The Old Gringo directed by Luis Puenzo[21],
Unlovable[22]
and Execution at Dawn[23].
The Old Gringo is loosely based on
Bierce's disappearance between December 1913 and early 1914. There are many
speculations as to the fate of Bierce. Amongst the most obscure are rumours
that he became a vampire or went through a portal to another world.[24]
The video clip, Unlovable by Babybird
follows Bierce's most famous story, An Occurrence
at Owl Creek Bridge. Execution at
Dawn[25]
is based on two of the author's stories, Parker
Addison, Philosopher and Story of A
Conscience. The amount of new literary work that has been created conveys the
lasting influence Bierce has had on literary circles through writing about
topics which can allude to current-day situations.
Throughout his life, Bierce referred to the American Civil
War as he experienced it. His representations of the War are dismal, but
through their horrific portrayal of war, draw the audience in. Mixed with
fiction is the truth. Most of his stories are of a specific battle. Only the
battles in which he participated are written about. This gives added
authenticity to his fictional works. These works are also the inspiration for a
myriad of authors, directors and musicians such as ......, ......, Luis Puenzo
and Babybird.
[[There are subtle differences between the fictitious and
non-fiction works of Ambrose Bierce. In the historically accurate recounts he
tells, he is indeed precise. In fact, in all his works he is historically
accurate. Throughout One of the Missing,
he gives specific details, dates, names and places. This is in parallel with
What I Saw of Shiloh and A Little of Chickamauga. In some of his works though,
he gives very little historical detail such as ..... ..... .....
Amongst supernatural writers Bierce is also prevalent. In
some of his supernatural works, it appears that there is a subconscious or
intended 'themes' for want of a better word which can be relevant to his time
serving in the army. ]]
[1]
Unabridged Devil's Dictionary pg 24
[2]
Unabridged Devil's Dictionary pg 99
[3]
Alone in Bad Company pg 14
[4]
Alone in Bad Company pg
[5]
Alone in Bad Company pg 18
[6]
Alone in Bad Company pg 18
[7] http://biercephile.com/life.cfm
21.08.2012
[8]
Geologic Origins of Kennesaw Mountain - ?
[9]
Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, One of the Missing, http://www.ambrosebierce.org/main.html
[10]Angela
Tooley, The Dallas Road Community and the
Battle of Kennesaw Mountain,
National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park,
Experience Your America™
[11]
One of the Missing
[12]
One of the Missing
[13]
One of the Missing
[14] The
Ambrose Bierce Project, http://www.ambrosebierce.org/main.html, Copyright
2005-2012, Craig A. Warren, last visited 16.08.2012
[15] One
of the Missing
[16] Ambrose
Gwinnett Bierce, What I Saw of Shiloh, http://www.ambrosebierce.org/main.html
[17] Roy
Morris Jr., Ambrose Bierce Alone in Bad Company
[18] Alone
in Bad Company,
[19]
An Affair at Coulter's Notch
[20] A
Horseman in the Sky
[21] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098022/
[22]
Youtube
[23]
Ambrose Bierce in the News
[24]
Ancient Aliens
[25]
Ambrose Bierce in the News
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