Characters

The main character of the short story “Chickamauga” by Ambrose Bierce – and also the protagonist – is the little boy. The wounded soldiers are also important, and they can be analyzed in brief like a collective character. Other characters which are only mentioned are the boy’s father, the mother, a few colored slave workers on the boy’s plantation and the boy’s ancestors.

The child

The child is the protagonist of the short story. Nothing much is revealed regarding outer characterization. The only thing that we know about him is that he is six years old and that he carries with him a wooden sword. The story behind the sword is quite interesting: “The man loved military books and pictures and the boy had understood enough to make himself a wooden sword, though even the eye of his father would hardly have known it for what it was.”

Inner characterization

Regarding inner characterization, things become more interesting. It is revealed from the very beginning that the boy comes from a “heroic race”. This is why he wanders outside his home unobserved, in search of an adventure:

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The soldiers

The presence of the soldiers is very important in the story, as it triggers the subsequent action.

Outer characterization

The soldiers are mostly depicted regarding outer characterization: “They crept upon their hands and knees. They used their hands only, dragging their legs. They used their knees only, their arms hanging idle at their sides. They strove to rise to their feet, but fell prone in the attempt.”;

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Inner characterization

The soldiers are only briefly depicted regarding inner characterization. When one of their peers collapses on the ground, the rest of them seem to pray and suffer immensely at the same time:

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The boy’s father and ancestors

These characters are only briefly mentioned in the story. Still, they are important because they help the readers better understand the boy and the line from which he descends:

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