Ambrose Bierce Group at eNotes

To the original poster, I'm sure that he intended to suggest that the...

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 23:36:33 PST

To the original poster, I'm sure that he intended to suggest that the devil would not recognize sin. Or perhaps, wouldn't want his readers to know of such a thing. Pierce was one of the great, though often overlooked, American horror writers, and he enjoyed playing with occult and supernatural concepts. Another suggestion could be that he felt sin would be too big a concept to handle in the format of a devil's dictionary. I imagine that the...

It was actually mentioned in the World Literature book.

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:16:49 PST

It was actually mentioned in the World Literature book.

In reply to #5: We don't use Holt, and I don't teach American Literature.

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:47:16 PST

In reply to #5: We don't use Holt, and I don't teach American Literature.

I think it is quite normal for people like Ambrose Bierce to do things...

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:42:44 PST

I think it is quite normal for people like Ambrose Bierce to do things that appear odd.

Yes, but the very fact that there are words such as lust, sloth, God,...

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:58:30 PST

Yes, but the very fact that there are words such as lust, sloth, God, Allah, and the like, but no entry for the word sin just seems odd.

It is even mentioned in our 10th or 11th grade Holt Rinehart textbook...

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:49:59 PST

It is even mentioned in our 10th or 11th grade Holt Rinehart textbook for general literature students.

This is interesting. I was unaware that Bierce had written such a...

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 05:47:59 PST

This is interesting. I was unaware that Bierce had written such a work. Perhaps, with it's personal flare, it could be used in conjunction with Johnson's Dictionary which was meant to be all-inclusive. I just love these satirical works. Thanks for the thread!

His dictionary, which we study in class after reading An Occurrence at...

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:25:12 PST

His dictionary, which we study in class after reading An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, is not meant to be taken literally as a dictionary, nor is it to be all inclusive of words that would be in a dictionary. It is more a satirical piece of work with a few personal beliefs thrown in.

Devil's Dictionary written by Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) was first...

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:07:46 PST

Devil's Dictionary written by Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) was first published in 1911. Though called dictionary it is more of a satirical work, which seeks to show how people use tend to say one thing and while they actually believe in or mean something else, or how some good ideas and things are used in inappropriate or in harmful ways.. Take for example the definition of "dictionary" as per this work. Dictionary, n A Malevolent literary...

Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:50:33 PST

I've come to realize that the word "sin" is not in the Devil's Dictionary. For all the wondrous details -quotes and whatnot- that describe the other words in the dictionary, I find it strange that the word "sin" is exempt from the book.
Was it the author's intention to imply that "the devil does not recognize sin" or was it merely a word he overlooked?

Grammardog Guide to An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge