Structure

Looking at the overall structure of a short story like “Chickamauga” by Ambrose Bierce is important, as it can help you better analyze the text. 

The plot of “Chickamauga” can be summarized as follows: a boy of six wanders far from his home into a forest, in search of adventure. He encounters hundreds of wounded soldiers and, entertained; he imagines that he is their leader. The boy discovers his home and plantation have been set on fire, and he can only watch in horror.

Title

The title of the short story, “Chickamauga”, is quite representative for what readers are about to discover.

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Beginning

The beginning of the short story – or the exposition – presents the identity of the protagonist and sets the intrigue: the boy has wandered out of his home, unobserved by his relatives, in search of an adventure:

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Middle

The middle of the short story follows the steps of the boy into the forest. The rising action is marked by the moment in which the boy sees a strange-looking rabbit:

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Ending

The ending of the story is, in fact, the climactic moment. Both the boy and the wounded soldiers see a blazing fire.

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