"As he is about to clasp her he feels a stunning blow upon the back of the neck: a blinding white light blazes all about him with a sound like the shock of a cannon-then all is darkness and silence." (page 19)

I was just thinking about the feelings he had right before he died. Why did he feel a blow on his neck and why was there a blinding light? I assume the light was because a lot of people think when you die its all dark and then light, or light and then dark. What are your thoughts?

Comments

  1. Abby DOctober 27, 2020 at 4:12 PM

    I would guess that the "blow upon the back of the neck" is supposed to be the sensation of his neck breaking as the rope snaps taut. As for the white light, I would presume that the nerves in his spinal column were overwhelmed and wacking out as they were stretched to breaking. Kind of the nervous equivalent to an application freezing up right before it crashes? I'm no medical expert, obviously, but that's my take on the situation.

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  2. Brooke B.October 28, 2020 at 8:07 AM

    Yeah I agree with Abby, the blow on his neck most likely was his neck breaking. Can you imagine how painful that would be? Physically and mentally? That was a double blow on him. And as for the light I would have to agree with Abby.

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  3. Ethan or Hanna HamOctober 28, 2020 at 12:14 PM

    I think that he died from the broken neck as it severed his spinal cord. It seems a lot of people say they see light before they die. I didn't think about the possibility of it being from the nerves in the spinal column. That's interesting.
    -Ethan H

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    Replies
    1. Abby DOctober 28, 2020 at 8:50 PM

      Speaking of seeing a light as you are dying, I would be really curious to know where that idea came from. I feel like it's touched upon in a lot of different media, but it's unclear whether there is any evidence to back it up.

      Delete
  4. HollyHockOctober 28, 2020 at 1:08 PM

    Speaking of things Farquhar saw or heard before his death, what was the significance of the driftwood floating down the stream?

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    Replies
    1. Ethan or Hanna HamOctober 29, 2020 at 8:47 PM

      I don't really know. Maybe it was reminding him of what he set out to do there. To start the wood on fire and burn the bridge.

      Delete
  5. Brooke B.October 29, 2020 at 8:08 AM

    That was so strange to me and really I have no idea. Would anyone mind explaining?
    Could he float on it? I really don't know.

    ReplyDelete

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