Job #2

Do you guys like this story? Did you guys have a takeaway from it? Do you think there is a moral or a life lesson the author is trying to communicate to his readers? 

Job #1

The man who was engaged in being hanged was apparently about thirty-five years of age. He was a civilian, if one might judge from his habit, which was that of a planter. His features were good—a straight nose, firm mouth, broad forehead, from which his long, dark hair was combed straight back, falling behind his ears to the collar of his well-fitting frock-coat. He wore a mustache and pointed beard, but no whiskers; his eyes were large and dark gray, and had a kindly expression which one would hardly have expected in one whose neck was in the hemp. Evidently this was no vulgar assassin. The liberal military code makes provision for hanging many kinds of persons, and gentlemen are not excluded.

Chapter 1

In this passage, Peyton Fahrquhar is described in a pleasant light. He appears to be kind, strong, wealthy, and a person who the South would consider a gentleman for the time. Peyton is married with kids, and he owns a plantation on Southern soil which appears to be quite successful, as it is described luxuriously. However, despite these factors, Fahrquhar is being hung. Do you guys think this is a fair punishment?

I think the last part of this passage is very interesting. It says that no matter the social status of a person, whether wealthy or poor, they will each suffer the same consequence. Throughout many times in history, we see people with larger amounts of money in the bank use their wealth to bribe law enforcement or buy their way out of a punishment. However, in this story, Bierce writes a statement that contradicts the common actions of that stereotype. In this scenario, that statement seems true, Fahrquar is a respectable gentleman among his community and he is sentenced to death. What do you guys think? Do you think this statement is true today?