Unseen commentary on an extract from "Killed at Resaca" by Ambrose Bierce.

International Baccalaureate World Literature

Unseen Commentary

Killed at Resaca by Ambrose Bierce

The excerpt is from ‘Killed at Resaca’ by Ambrose Bierce which was written in 1881. Given its date of publication and the knowledge that it follows the American Civil War in 1862; after an analysis of the text we can deduce that it is a work of fiction. Initially the extract positions the reader in the middle of a bloody battlefield where a valiant soldier; Herman Brayle meets his end. His death concludes the battle his comrades and his enemy honour his death, the battle had left behind a trail of bereavement of ordinary people. The narrator is delegated with Brayle’s personal belongings-a Russian leather pocketbook. After this the text shifts to a different period, a time space of one year. The narrator finally inspects the pocketbook and discovers a love letter for the lieutenant, from his lover Marian Mendenhall. After his the narrator arrives to California at the home of Miss Mendenhall. The narrator hands over the honoured lieutenant’s pocketbook to Miss Mendenhall, in return she cold-heartedly threw into the hearth. The extract ends with the narrator lying about the death of his lieutenant responding by saying “he was bitten by a snake”.

The extract only mentions two main settings: the battlefield of the American civil war and the residence of Miss Mendenhall. The first fragment of the extract takes place in Virginia, in an area where the American civil war was active and where most of the fighting was taking place at the time. This setting is not explicitly described in great depth, but from the mood and atmosphere we can conclude that the setting was not of a blissful mood but of a much gloomy nature. Tension had filled the air with constant gunfire, ‘a few desultory shots at long intervals serving to rather accentuate the break in silence’. Briece effectively conveys to the reader the level tension built up by the battle field. Furthermore, the use of ‘muffled drums’ the writer establishes a sense of pain or heartache. In addition to this the employment of a dirge creates a sense of sadness and grief. Briece successfully uses these instruments to emotionally move the reader.

The second important setting in the excerpt is the residence of Marian Mendenhall. In this fragment of the text is where most of the dialogue is evident in the text-between the narrator and Miss Mendenhall. At first the narrator describes the house as a ‘handsome dwelling on Rincon Hill’. This suggests that the residence is of some sense rich, lavish and extravagant.

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Characterisation is highly established in the extract. Briece allows the reader to have an extended insight into the personalities of the characters. The narrator is presented to the reader as a man of virtue and honour; this is due to the loyalty he shows towards his comrade and so it is clear that he values the sacrifices made by a soldier. His emotions and feelings are not made distinct for the reader, and this is due to the fact that the author has chosen to speak through the narrator’s voice and actions. His regard of the civil war is clearly stated when the writer writes; ‘It was as if both sides had suddenly repented of their profitless crime’. This statement suggests that the narrator viewed the war as something which brought no profit to anybody, only losses and pain. This statement also highlights his opinion on life . From this we are given a sense that the narrator is in some sense philosophical where he poses the question; ‘Is women weak’? This rhetorical question demonstrates his views on gender roles during that era. He brings into regard a common notion of the time of the weak and inferior roles of females in society; however Miss Mendenhall is in a sense a paradox to this statement as she is deceptive and manipulative. She had fooled her supposed lover into the notion of a close relationship between the two, whereas in reality this was not the feelings she held at heart, thus making her superior to Brayle by manipulating the man’s emotions. The narrator’s loyalty is again displayed when he mentions that the blood of Herman Brayle was ‘the blood of the truest and bravest heart that ever beat.’ This form of heightened praise exemplifies the loyalty and high regards the narrator held in regard for Brayle.

The centralized element of the extract is Herman Brayle’s love letter which remains in focus in a majority of the extract. Herman Brayle is initially presented to the reader as a person who is firm in fulfilling his purpose, yet is conflicted in his inability to turn back when the writer writes; ‘He could not go forward, he would not turn back; he stood awaiting death’. Here the writer cleverly employs the use of a juxtaposition to contrast his unyielding will to fight in comparison to his helplessness – that is against the demise that awaits him. From the beginning of the extract till his death Brayle is depicted as a valiant man whose only allegiance lies with honour and country. . However, this esteemed perception initially made by the reader on Brayle, is challenged with the revelation that his actions weren’t based on the assumed bravery, but rather on desire to prove to his lover that he was not a man of cowardice as accused by Mendenhall’s love letter. This in turn, reveals a somewhat gullible and naïve quality about Brayle, in that he was easily influenced by the words of Mendenhall to the extent that he was willing to sacrifice his life as a symbol of commitment.

Besides The two three major characters; the narrator, Herman Brayle and Miss Mendenhall a fourth character is introduced. The role of this character is not significant in the progression of the excerpt but he does play a role in elaborating Herman Brayle’s character, therefore requiring some sense of discussion. The only part of significance in which Mr Winter’s plays is when he informs Mendenhall of Brayle’s supposed ‘cowardice’ on the battlefield, accusing him of hiding behind a tree instead of participating in the battle. Although an envious lie, this piece of misinformation reveals to the reader a sinister aspect to Mr Winters’ character, in particularly that of envy. It is evident that Mr Winters wanted to harm Mendenhall’s regard of Brayle allowing a chance to have a relationship with himself and Mendenhall this can be witnessed when she writes in her letter; ‘I think he wants to injure you in my regard’.

To Miss Mendenhall reputation is something that is quite dear and valuable. This is expressed clearly when she writes to Brayle; ‘I could bear to hear of my soldier lover’s death, but not of his cowardice’. By opposing the announcement of her loved one’s death to that of their cowardice highlights Mendenhall’s value of reputation and social status over the truthfulness to herself, and to her lover. This statement thus, proposes that she’d rather have Brayle die that to be related to someone who is a coward, which would potentially tarnish her reputation or social image ,thus it further solidifies the notion that the ‘love’ she had for Brayle wasn’t in anyway legitimate or sincere.

The most fundamental element in the whole passage which metaphorically gives us an emotional comparison to Miss Mendenhall is situated in the last line, When she enquires about Brayle’s death. The narrator makes a symbolic connection between Mendenhall and the ‘snake’. The reference to the snake having connotations with deceit, lies, poison and manipulation is shown to be relevant in that it coincides with the character of Mendenhall. It was she that manipulated Brayle into believing in the need to prove his bravery to her through the love letter, and thus symbolically, her words served as the poisonous ‘bite’ that lead him to his death.

The writer adopts the persona of the narrator, Thus allowing his to make an intimate connection with the other characters thus allowing the reader to better understand the other characters through the perspective of the narrator. This approach, although enabling the reader to gain a more personal, interpretive understanding of the events in the passage, restricts the writer’s ability to explore the other characters in greater detail due to the narrator’s bias judgment towards the other characters.

The structure of the poem features paragraphs of varying lengths. The opening sentences remain very concise and brief, in order to build up a fast-pace and tense moment of Brayle’s death. The length in paragraphs is then lengthened as the narrator gives a rich, detailed account of the honouring of Brayle’s death. Moreover, the extract features dialogue, in which through what is being spoken, allows the reader insight into the characters. Bierce also includes a rhetorical question in the passage, in order to provoke the reader to think about what is being said. Finally, the closing line of the passage features a brief, yet captivating sentence in which its unexpected nature leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

In Conclusion, ‘killed in Resaca’ is a very compelling piece or literature. Bierce effectively illustrates an engaging plot that leads to a charged confrontation, thus making the reader attentive to what is happening. Through excellent delivery and crafty diction, Bierce has produced an alluring piece of writing which hooks the reader into the plot and story line.

Word count: 1768