The National Guardsman
The National Guardsman is a short story written by Ambrose Bierce, first published in 1891. The story follows the journey of a man who joins the National Guard as a way to escape his mundane life and find adventure. However, upon his return home after a training exercise, he finds that nothing has changed and he is still trapped in his routine.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1878 · Genre: Military Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adventure · 111 words
First lines
I'm a gorgeous golden hero And my trade is taking life.
Hear the twittle-twittle-tweero Of my sibillating fife And the rub-a-dub-a-dum Of my big bass drum! I'm an escort strong and bold, The Grand Army to protect.
My countenance is cold And my attitude erect.
I'm a Californian Guard And my banner flies aloft, But the stones are O, so hard! And my feet are O, so soft!
What this Textopian page supports
The National Guardsman is listed on Textopian as a short story by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1878 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: 1878 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Military Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adventure, War
- Length: 111 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The National Guardsman 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 The National Guardsman?
- How does this short story by Ambrose Bierce fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Military Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- A Wet Season by Ambrose Bierce
- A Military Incident by Ambrose Bierce
- Three Recruits by Ambrose Bierce
- A Years Casualties by Ambrose Bierce
- Two Military Executions by Ambrose Bierce
- Down Among The Dead Men by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- Military Fiction — The book focuses on the life of a national guardsman, making it part of the military fiction genre.
- Historical Fiction — Given Ambrose Bierce's general propensity for historical settings, it can be inferred that this book falls within the realm of historical fiction too.
- Adventure — Elements of adventure are likely present in the plotline, given the context of the protagonist's occupation.
- War — Being a National Guardsman invariably entails situations of war and conflict.
Tags
war · military · fiction · short story · soldiers · battle · violence · death · loss · grief · trauma · psychological