Read the excerpt from "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." He unclosed his eyes and saw again the water below him. "If I could free my hands," he thought, "I might throw off the noose and spring into the stream. By diving I could evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods and get away home. My home, thank God, is as yet outside their lines; my wife and little ones are still beyond the invader’s farthest advance.” Which best describes the impact of the narration in the excerpt? It helps the reader understand why the man is being hanged. It introduces the reader to a new character through the character’s thoughts. It allows the reader to understand the thoughts of a man preparing for death. It reveals to the reader the man’s plan of escape.

The literary device of stream of consciousness is used in this excerpt to create tension and prepare the reader for a difficult looming moment. It also invites the reader to enter the mind of the man and experience his feelings, thoughts, images, and empathize with what he is living.

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