Juxtaposition In Chickamauga

In the 1863 essay, “Chickamauga,” Ambrose Bierce used juxtaposition to contrast society’s view on war versus what actually happened to the soldiers during war. When the boy first saw the soldiers, he was reminded of a painted clown because the soldiers were “streaked and gouted with red- and he laughed as he watched them.” This represents the society thinking that war is all fun and games, but in reality hundreds of soldiers are bleeding out and dying every day. As the soldiers crawled up the hill after the war, the boy “mounted the soldier astride” and “made believe that they were his horses.” This represents the government using their soldiers as their game pawns and maneuvering them wherever and however they want to. Then, as the soldiers