Job #3 - Literature Connections (Compare & Contrast)

I know some information about Washington Irving's short story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", but because I am not in the afternoon Lit class, I didn't read it. However, I actually did read "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), which was also a book assignment for Lit class. Therefore, I am choosing to compare and contrast the latter author's writing style to that of Ambrose Bierce's, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge."

Compare & Contrast - Twain & Bierce:


"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain:

(Contrast): Twain's book about Huck Finn is written through the eyes of a child and before the Civil War broke out. He depicts much through humor, which makes it lighthearted. Although he uses realism through the logical Huck, he also represents Romanticism through Tom and his scheme-filled adventures. There are many noteworthy features in his book including the characters and plot. One thing I particularly find interesting and unique is that despite Huck's consistent way of lying to get out of trouble, he tries to make an effort to change, and he sincerely values people who have set moral standards for themselves. Deep down he truly means well even when he purposely plays tricks on those around him :)


"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce:

(Contrast): Bierce's short story is portrayed during the Civil War, which intensifies it. He offers lots of descriptive details, but is also very ambiguous. The theme of the story is based upon realism by portraying specific events instead of the character's feelings on those events. Because his journey for escape was a hallucination or dream, he was able to use those unrealistic events to magnify the unfortunate reality in the end. In the hallucination, he is able to convince the reader it is real, but he drops subtle hints to prove that it's not. He also uses the escape journey as a double meaning for the journey to his death. I think that some of the noteworthy features in this story is the unique structure of how the story was written, the ambiguity of it, the hallucination as a whole, and the abrupt surprise ending, since it all allows for much analysis.


Twain & Bierce:

(Compare): Both authors were known for their use of realism, satire, and detailed description. Literary realism strives to depict an America as it really is, unfettered by Romanticism, and is often cruel or harsh in its reality; it is the attitude or practice of accepting a situation as it is, and being prepared to deal with it accordingly. Satire is the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.