Hell by Ambrose Bierce (1906)
HELL is a short story written by Ambrose Bierce in 1898. The story follows an unnamed narrator who finds himself in a strange and eerie place that he refers to as "HELL." The narrator encounters various inhabitants of HELL, including a man who is being tormented by demons, a woman who is frozen in ice, and a group of people who are forced to play musical instruments for an eternity. As the narrator explores HELL, he becomes increasingly disillusioned with the place and its inhabitants. He begins to question whether HELL is truly a place of punishment or if it is simply a reflection of humanity's own darkness. The story ends with the narrator realizing that HELL may not be a physical location at all, but rather a state of mind. Reading analytics: * Number of pages read: 10 * Time spent reading: 30 minutes * Reactions: 2 likes, 1 dislike * Comments: "Interesting take on the concept of hell."
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1906 · Genre: Satire, Short Stories, Philosophical Fiction · 252 words
First lines
The friends who stood about my bed Looked down upon my face and said: "God's will be done -- the fellow's dead."
When from my body I was free I straightway felt myself, ah me! Sink downward to the life to be.
Full twenty centuries I fell, And then alighted. "Here you dwell For aye," a Voice cried -- "this is Hell!"
A landscape lay about my feet, Where trees were green and flowers sweet.
What this Textopian page supports
Hell is listed on Textopian as a short story by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1906 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Ambrose Bierce
- Date: 1906 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Satire, Short Stories, Philosophical Fiction, Dark Humor
- Length: 252 words
- Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Hell by Ambrose Bierce
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Hell?
- How does this short story by Ambrose Bierce fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Satire first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Omnes Vanitas by Ambrose Bierce
- Lucifer Of The Torch by Ambrose Bierce
- The Cynics Bequest by Ambrose Bierce
- An Epitaph by Ambrose Bierce
- In Contumaciam by Ambrose Bierce
- A Needless Labour by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- Satire — Bierce's 'Hell' is renowned for its satirical takes on historically and culturally accepted notions of late 19th century society. The text, notably, mocks conventional perspectives on the concept of hell and religious beliefs.
- Short Stories — 'Hell' follows the format of several short essays, making it a collection of short stories with a common theme. Each piece provides a different angle or facet of the concept of Hell.
- Philosophical Fiction — The book delves deep into the philosophical outlook of the author on the themes of hell, justice, religion and society. It encourages readers to question and reflect their own beliefs, a key feature of philosophical fiction.
- Dark Humor — Despite dealing with serious and potentially somber subject matter, 'Hell' employs dark humor throughout. Bierce exposes the ironies and absurdities of conventional beliefs about hell by presenting them in a grotesquely humorous manner.
Tags
horror · fantasy · supernatural · gothic · dark · apocalyptic · hell · damnation · torment · suffering · pain · despair