Ambrose Bierce Ambrose Bierce 18421914 10 th of 13 children lived in a log cabin in Ohio War experiences Joined the 9 th Indiana Volunteers at age 19 Saw action at Shiloh and Chickamauga ID: 235490
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "A cynic “sees things as they are, not ..." is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
Slide1
A cynic “sees things as they are, not as they ought to be. Hence the custom among the Scythians of plucking out a cynic’s eyes to improve his vision.”
Ambrose BierceSlide2
Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914?)
10
th
of 13 children; lived in a log cabin in Ohio.
War experiences
Joined the 9
th
Indiana Volunteers at age 19
Saw action at Shiloh and Chickamauga
Part of General Sherman’s march to the sea
Severely wounded once; cited for bravery 15 timesSlide3
Married Mary Ellen Day in 1871Three childrenDay, son, was shot in a brawl over a woman
Leigh, son, died of pneumonia related to alcoholism
Helen, daughter
Divorced wife after discovering letters from an admirer; she died the year after.
1913: Bierce asks his few friends to “forgive him in not perishing where he was” and set off for Mexico. He was never heard from again.
Personal LifeSlide4
His Writing
Sarcastic, caustic, humorous, realistic
Left the army, joined brother to work at the U.S. Mint
Began contributing caustically (bitter) witty, short pieces to the weeklies
Muckraking reporter, editor of the San Francisco
News Letter,
humorist magazine writer, novelist
“Bitter Bierce” – disillusioned with the deceit and greed of his times