Q. From your reading of “The Signalman” by Charles Dickens and “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce: Compare the treatment of the theme of a “mind under stress” by each author. Your essay should include a detailed analysis of the narrative skills employed by each writer.
A mind under stress is one that has an applied force or system of forces that tends to strain or deform the brain. Stress can be a mentally or emotionally disruptive condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health e.g. increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, tetchiness, and depression. Many people believe all forms of stress are terrible and are a nuisance to humans, but that is not the case. Many doctors can confirm that it is helpful if we all have a certain level of stress in our lives, not too much or too little, but a medium amount, as it gives us more interesting and exciting lives. Too little stress is said to make life very dull and boring and consistently high stress levels would cause health risks. So if we humans could change, would the majority of our planet prefer to purge of stress completely so that they are to never suffer the bad effects of it again, but at the same time risk indulging too much of a monotonous and dull life? Or, will there ever be a way in which we could cure stress related circumstances so as nobody will suffer from it? In my essay, I will be discussing a comparison of two stories, “The Signalman” by Charles Dickens and “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce. In my essay I will examine the narrative skills used by both writers in relationship with the theme of “a mind under stress”.
