“A Horseman in the Sky”
In “A Horseman in the Sky,” by Ambrose Bierce, we learn that the Union soldier Carter Druse, the main character, must shoot the horseman sitting astride his steed at the top of a cliff overlooking a valley far below. He anguishes over such a terrible duty, but in the end remembers his Confederate father’s words: “. . . and whatever may occur, do what you conceive to be your duty.” Carter does his duty and pulls the trigger but shoots the horse, sending horse and rider over the cliff — a horseman in the sky — to their deaths. At story’s end, we learn from Carter that the rider atop the horse was his father.
In a paragraph, explain the terrible irony that we readers realize at story’s end. In a second paragraph, discuss whether Carter Druse did the right and noble thing. Would you have been able to do what he did?
Compose your paragraphs in Notepad first and save the document as horseman. Before posting your comment, have two other classmates, whom I will assign, read and proof your response. Last, proofread your own paragraphs one last time and then post them. Remember, each paragraph must have a topic sentence, and all the other sentences in the paragraph must develop that topic.
Explore posts in the same categories: Eng. 8A, Eng. 8B, Mr. Seybert's English 8 Classes
Not the Last Word 8 
October 19, 2006 at 9:23 am
The terrible irony we realize at the end of the story is that the rider upon the horse was Carter’s dad. This is ironic because in the beginning of the story when Carter tells his dad he’s going to join the Union side for the war, his father tells him “Go Carter, and, whatever may occur do what you concieve to be your duty.” So to me it seems like his father is saying if you have to kill me you should because it’s your duty.
I believe he did the right thing by shooting the horse and killing his father. If he would not have shot the horse and made him go over the cliff his father would have rode back to the Confederate side, told them that the Union soldiers were going to attack, and there would’ve been an ambush. I definately couldn’t have done what Carter did.
October 19, 2006 at 9:24 am
The irony in “The Horseman in the Sky” is when Carter Druse is
faced with the situation of shooting the man on the horse. In
the beginning of the story, Carter Druse tells his father that
he is going to join the Union army. His father replies with”Go
Carter,and, whatever may occur, do what you conceive to be
your duty.Virginia, to which you speak are a traitor, must get
on without you….”. The readers didn’t expect that in the end
the words that he spoke would be the words that kill him.
To alot of people, the action that Carter chose to take was
wrong,but it was something that he had to do.He took his
father’s advice and did his duty. He was assigned by the Union
army to protect them and do whatever he needed. He followed
order, and ended up killing his father.If I was Carter Druse,
I would not have been able to shoot my father. I wouldn’t even
be able to shoot the horse. It was a very noble thing of him
to do, and it was the right thing.
October 19, 2006 at 9:27 am
The irony in the “A Horseman in the Sky” was situational irony. Situational irony is what happens is very different from what we expect to happen. We did not expect the horseman to be Carter Druse’s father. It would of been hard for him to shoot his father’s horse because in the end he knew that they were both going to be dead.
Carter Druse did the noble and right thing. His father said “Go, Carter ,and, whatever may occur, do what you conceive to be your duty.” Carter did what his father said. He had to shoot the horse. Carter did what he had to do so the confederate would not know about the surprise attack.I wouldn’t have been able to do what Carter Druse did. I could never shoot my father’s horse. Carter knew his father was going to die too. That would be too hard to do. He was one of the people who brought you into the world and you would kill him just for a war. No, I could never.
October 19, 2006 at 9:30 am
The irony that is in this story is about the title. The title is ” A Horseman in the Sky”. It is ironic because at the end
of the story when Carter Druse shoots the horse that his dad is on top, his dad and the horse go falling off the mountain. At
the time, a federal soldier is walking, and he sees this horseman in the sky. He then thinks that the apocalypse is near. The
horseman is actually falling because his horse got shot. The irony type is situational irony. It is the difference between what
happens and what we expect to happen.
I think that Carter Druse did the right thing when he shot the horse his father was on because it was his duty. He
knew that if he didn’t shoot the horse his dad could have gone back to his confederate base, and he could have told where
the federal base was. I could not have done that because I couldn’t shoot my father.
October 19, 2006 at 9:31 am
The irony of “A Horseman in the Sky” is situational irony. It is situational irony because the horseman in the sky was Carter Druse’s father falling over a cliff. Carter Druse’s father told him “…and whatever may occur, do what you conceive to be your duty.” He had to shoot his father, but he couldn’t so he shot the horse. The horse and his father both fell over the cliff.
Carter Druse did the right thing. If he didn’t shoot the horse he wouldn’t have done his duty. Not doing his duty may have cost him his life because his father may have told other soldiers that there was someone there. His father also could have shot him. I don’t think I could have done the same thing he did.
October 19, 2006 at 9:33 am
The irony of the Horseman in the sky was situational irony. We didn’t expect him to kill his father the way he did, by shooting at the horse. He probably didn’t want to aim at his father because he didnt have the courage. That is why it is situational irony cause we didn’t expect him to kill his father.
I thought that Carter Druse did the right thing killing his dad because if he didn’t do that then the town of western Virginia; people would be dying from Carter Druses dad and from his attack. But he did the right thing. He also did the right thing shooting at the horse other than his father. Carter didn’t have the courage to. I would never killed my father like Carter Druse Did.
October 19, 2006 at 9:35 am
The terrible irony of the story, A Horseman in the sky is situational irony. Its not what you expected to happened in the story. You didn’t think it was going to be his dad whom he would have to kill till the end of the story.
Carter Druse did do the right thing because it was he his duty to be on the watch and if he wouldn’t have done it he would of risk the life of him and his army. Even though it was his father, he remembers what he said to him “whatever may occur, do what you conceive to be your duty. I don’t think I could do it. It would be hard to kill my dad even if I shot the horse I still couldn’t. I couldn’t ever feel the same knowing that I killed my dad.
October 19, 2006 at 9:39 am
In the story “A Horseman in the Sky” there is situational irony. What happens was very different then what we thought was going to happen. The horseman that Carter Druse shot turned out to be his father.
Carter Druse did the right thing by shooting the horse and killing his father. It might not have been easy, but it had to be done. If Carter Druse wouldn’t have shot the horse the Union Army’s attack would have failed. I would have done the same thing that Carter did if I was in his potion even though I wouldn’t to.
October 19, 2006 at 9:42 am
The Irony Talked about in “The Horseman In The Sky, was a Situational Irony and that is what happened in the story was very different from what I expected I thought it was going to be much more boring than what it was. The Irony that was descussed was terrible. What happened was that Carter Druce shot A horse in the chest that his father was sitting on Because he was going to put a suprise attack on Carter Druce’s people so Carter Druce had to do something about it.
I think Carter Druce did the right thing. Because his father told Carter Druce to do his duty no matter what it is.
No I do not think that I would be able to do what he did, because even though he told me to do what I am soposed to do I still wouldn’t be able to do it. But in a way I would be able to do it because other wise my father would attack my people and me. So I do not know what I would do.
October 20, 2006 at 9:41 am
At the end of the story we realized that Carter Druse had to make a very hard choice.Carter Druse was put into a very hard situation.We call that situational irony.Situational irony is irony that what happens is very different from what is going to happen.Carter Druse has to kill his father.
I believe that Carter Druse did the right thing because his dad said that whatever may occur do what is your duty.If he wouldn’t of done that his fello conrads whould been led into an ambush.I would not been able to do what Carter Druse did because it would have been to painful
October 20, 2006 at 9:42 am
The irony in the story “A Horseman in the Sky” is when Carter Druse shoots the horse his dad is on and sends them flying off the cliff. When they were at home Carter ruse’s dad said, “Whatever may occur, do what you conceive to be your duty”. When Carter Druse is sent to war he is placed on top of a cliff that is two thousand feet above sea level.
When the commander asked him if he learned anything during his scout. Then the scout said” Yes, sir; there is no road leading down into this valley from the southward.”
October 20, 2006 at 9:43 am
The terrible irony in “A Horseman in the Sky” is situational irony.Situational irony means what happen in a story is very different from what we expected to happen. In the story the Horseman in the Sky carter join the Union regiment and has arrived at Grafton. Almost in the end of the story in the cliff Carter saw his father and shot his horse and tumble down the hill.
He did a right and noble thing. It is his duty. Like when he said whatever may occur, do what you concieve to be your duty. I would not even do that.
October 20, 2006 at 9:45 am
The irony in the story “A Horseman in the sky” is when carter Druse is put up with a horrible situation where he would have to shoot and kill a man on the top of a cliff.The reason he would have to kill the man on the cliff is because he would be risking the lives of the other union soilders.Also he would risk his life more than what he is.The man that he kills on the hill is his father.
In the end I think he did do the right thing because his dad told him to do his duty and Carter Druse did do what his father told him.If I was in that situation I would do it because my father told me to do my duty,and I would be risking the other soilders lives and Iwould be risking mine more than I already am.
October 20, 2006 at 9:45 am
The irony in the story “A Horseman in the Sky” is situational irony. When situational irony is used the effect of it is that what happens in the story is very different than what we expect to happen. The irony in the story occurs when the officer of the Federal force saw the horse and the horseman falling through the sky, and thought that it was a horseman flying in the sky to spy on them.
Carter Druse was doing his duty, but it was a tragedy to have to do something like that. If I would have done that I would have a very hard time doing that, but I would have to be faithful to my father. In the story he said Go Carter, and, whatever may occur, do what you conceive to be your duty. Carter was doing his duty but it was a very hard thing for him to do.
October 20, 2006 at 9:46 am
The type of irony in the story Horseman in the Sky is situational irony. In the story Horseman in the Sky the terrible irony is when Carter Druce has to shoot the horse that his father is riding. He had to shoot his father so that he doesn’t tell the Confederates that the Union are planning to attack them.They are in the middle of a war of confederates and union.
Carter Druce did the right thing by killing his father so that he wouldn’t tell the confederates about the attack.His father in the beginning of the story said that he should do his duty. So Carter did his duty by shooting the horse that his father was on. I don’t think I would be able to shoot the horse that my father was on.
October 20, 2006 at 9:47 am
The story is called “A Horseman in the Sky”. The irony of the story is situational irony. It is situational irony becuase Carter shoots the horse and the horse jumps off the cliff to his death. The situational irony is very different from what I expected to happen I tought that the horseman was going to fly or something.
Carter Druse did the right thing. If he never shot the horse the attack would have been a complete failure. If I had to shoot my father I could not do it. It would be very hard to shoot my father.
October 20, 2006 at 9:48 am
The Terrible irony of “A Horseman in the Sky” is situational irony. Situational irony is what happens in a story is very different from what we expect to happen. In “A Horseman in the Sky” Carters father tells him that a Union regiment has arrived a Grafton and he is going to join it. His father also told Carter to go and do what you conceive to be your duty. We think that Carter would never kill his dad or maybe not even see his father. In the story Carter sees a man atop a horse by the side of a cliff, its his father. Carter either has to shoot his father of shoot the horse so that they both fall off the cliff. Carter couldn’t shoot his father so he shot the horse and they both fell off the cliff and died.
When Carter shot the horse that his father was atop I thought it was terrible. I couldn’t ever do that in my whole life. I guess that he did the noble and right thing because, his father told him whatever may occur to do his duty. That was a terrible duty, which again I could never do.
October 20, 2006 at 9:48 am
The Irony of the story “The horseman in the Sky” is that there is a horseman up on the cliff, and it is his father. He has a choice to kill his father, or to let the surprise attack continue. If he let his father see them, he will get the confederate army and they will kill his solders. In the end, he shoots the horse and his father falls off the cliff.
In the end, I do not think that he did the right thing. If that was my father I would have killed myself before my dad. So I think he should be punished. I also think that he should have to tell his family about it. So no I think he should never have pulled the trigger.
October 20, 2006 at 12:00 pm
The title of the story,”A Horseman in the Sky,”is an Situational irony. It is a situational irony because it is what we think might happen, and what is really going to happen. It is ironic because at the end of the story Carter Druse had to make a hard choice to either shoot the horse or his father. But at the end of the story he shoots the horse. Because it would be to hard to shoot his own father. But when he shoot the horse his father fell down the mountain with his horse. Thats why its called “Horseman in the Sky. He had to shoot his father so that he doesn’t tell the Confederates that the Union are planning to attack them.
Carter Druse was right to shoot the horse and not his father. At the end Carter remembers his Confederate father’s words: “. . . and whatever may occur, do what you conceive to be your duty.” No I do not think that I could shot a horse or my father.
October 23, 2006 at 9:37 am
In “A Horseman in the sky” the irony is situational which means what happens is not what we expect to happen. In the story I thought that Carter Druse was going to kill the man on the steed, but then he realized who it was it was his father. His father was with Confederates, but his son was on the Union side of the war. At the end Carter Druse Shot his dads horse so that his dad and the horse would fall of the cliff that they were on, because Carter didn’t not have the guts to kill his father by shooting him.
Carter Druse did the right and noble thing by killing is father and the horse. I couldn’t kill my father at all i care about him to much to ruin his life. I don’t think I could live with myself after that.
October 23, 2006 at 11:05 am
At the end of ” A Horseman In The Sky,” we experience a terrible irony that had happened. Carter Druse the main character in the story has to shoot his father because of his duty. Carter doesn’t want to but he had remembered his father’s word’s ” whatever may occurr, do what you conceive to be your duty.” I think that Carter Druse did and did not do the right thng because first of all
that is his father, but his he was just doing his duty and what his father told
him to do. I thought that Carter was a very brave person. I wouldn’t have been able
to do what Carter bravley did, I would just not listen to my father inthe first
place if he told me to shoot him.
October 23, 2006 at 11:05 am
At the end of “Horsemen in the sky”we discover a terrible thing that Carter Druse has to do. The irony is situational and it puts you in that
situation.
He didnt do the right thing because I wouldnt shoot at my Dad he is too nice to be shot. If I were him I wouldnt shoot his father, but he also said “do what to concive to be your duty”. Also he did do
his duty.
October 23, 2006 at 11:06 am
The irony that was used was Scenery Irony. That means that the reader thinks one thing is going to happen but at the end of the story the total opposite happens. In the beginning I thought he was going to let the man go but then the writer told us that Carter Druce shot the man on the horse. I never thought the man on the horse was going to turn out to be his father.
I believe that Crater did the right thing, by staying noble to his fellow soldiers. He shot a man that was looking at the other people in the Union with Carter. It was Carter’s job to watch the cliff over looking the valley, and if a person from the Confederate side came for a look, Carter was to shot him. I don’t know if I would be able to shot my father. If it meant staying true to my side, maybe, but I love having my dad to talk to about things.
October 23, 2006 at 11:09 am
This story has terrible irony that we understand at the end. This type of irony is called situational irony. The irony is that the “horseman in the sky” is actually a man on a horse that is falling through the sky. We also find out that Carter Druse who shot the horse and sent it to its death, also sent his father to his death.
Carter Druse did do the right and nobal thing. Even though he killed his father he saved a lot of people’s lives in the process. If he wouldn’t have shot his father he would have risked having the confederate army take the union by suprise. I know what Carter did was the right thing to do, but if I was in his place I don’t think I could have shot at my father.
October 23, 2006 at 11:11 am
The irony in the story is situational irony.Because he has to decide if he is going to kill the man on the horse or not.He has to think is he going to let one man live and have an whole army die because of one man.He does once put his gun down and has to make a decision fast.which is the hardest desion he will prbably have to make in his life.
Did Carter Druse do the right thing.I believe he did the right and the wrong. In one sense he did the right thing because he could have let the one man live and and have many, many die. But the other sense is that the man on the horse was his father.His father did say whatever you may occur, do what you concieve to be your duty. in a way I feel that his father almost new at some point that they would meet. Although he did not shoot his father he did kill him and he may have trouble living with that through out his life.
October 23, 2006 at 11:12 am
The irony in this story is situational irony because he either has to shoot the man or let him report back to his people and tell them they are down there.He has to make the decision to shoot the man. Which turns out to be his father.
Carter did do the right thing by shooting his father because if he wouldn’t have would have gone back and told the other people that they were there and even more people would have died, but in another sense he should not have shooten him in the first place but, it was his duty so he had to do it.No i would not have been able to do what he did.
October 23, 2006 at 11:12 am
The terrible irony in this story is called situational irony. Carter thought of his father’s words before he fired and then he shot the horse off the cliff. There was a man on top of that horse. The man was Carter’s father.
Carter Druse did and did not do the right thing. He did the right thing because he did save a lot of people and he listened to his father’s words. It was wrong because that was his own father. I would never be able to what he did. I could never kill someone who is close to me. I love my dad and I would never do something like that to him.
October 23, 2006 at 11:13 am
Carter Druse shot the horse and sent the man and the horse off the cliff they were standing near, carter sent them to their deaths. In the end, we find out that the man on the horse that carter shot was his own father. This irony is call situational irony.
Carter Druse did do the right thing when he shot the horse and sent the horse and his own father off the cliff and killed him. His father told him to do what his duty was and if he wouldn’t of done it his father could of seen the men hid in the bushes where he was standing and could of went back to his camp and told everyone. When they came they wouldn’t of been surprised and would of killed the men before they even new the soldiers they were there. There would of been a lot of soldiers killed on the side carter was on, so he had to kill his father so he could stop that from happening. No, I couldn’t do the same thing cater druse did to his dad because I love my dad. Besides, who would give me money if he’s gone?
October 23, 2006 at 11:14 am
There is a terible irony that we realize at at the end of the story. It is situational irony. Because the man on the steed is Carters father. We might think he will not kill his father.
Carter did the right thing. It was a good thing that he killed his father because if he did not many more of his friends and comrads would have died. He was doing his duty and his father said what ever you conceive to be your duty you must do it. Yes I would have done what because I would rather have one person be killed than 5 hole regiments of my comrades and friends.
October 23, 2006 at 11:15 am
The kind of irony that is in this story is called situational irony. We saw that Carter Druse was doing his duty but we realized that he killed someone he loved in the process . His father. Sitiuational irony is what you think is going to happen from what really happens. I don’t know if Carter Druse did the right thing by shooting his father but he did do his duty.
If I was in the same situation as Carter Druse I would have not shot my father. The reason why is because Carter has a sick mother that he needs to take of her. Knowing that Carter shot his father its obvious that Carter’s father probably provided for the family. So he shouldn’t have shot his father. Although his father told Carter “Do what you conceive to be your duty”. So he did. He shot his father.
October 23, 2006 at 11:19 am
The irony was that the rider on the horseman was Carters father. This type of irony is scenery irony. Scenery irony means that you think that one thing is going to happen in a story but then it goes in a entertiry different way. That is what happend in this story. Carter had to kill the horse so that the rider would fall off the cliff and die, so that it did not go and tell the rest of his troops where the other army was.
Carter did do the right thing, by he killed his father. He should not have done that because he killed his father.Even though it was his duty he should not have done it. I could never do that to my dad. I would not be able to do such a thing. He had a lot of courage and bravery to do what he had done.
October 23, 2006 at 11:20 am
That story was situational irony because no one expected the guy on the horse was his father. Situational irony is an outcome that turns out to be very different from what was expected, the difference between what is expected to happen and what actually does.
I think Carter did the right thing but he didn’t do the right thing. He did the right thing because he obayed his dad but he also killed his dad. I might have been able to do it but might not have. If I was Carter I don’t think I could have done it because it was my dad and I betrayed the Federal. He lived in the federal area that’s why he is a betrayed.
October 23, 2006 at 11:23 am
The irony is that Carter’s father told him to do what he thought as his duty.We all probably thought he wouldn’t kill anyone but the irony is that he ends killing his own father. He killed him because that was his duty.In a way he did the wrong thing but in another way he didn’t.
He did the right thing by killing him because he just saved a lot of people and he was doing what he thought right.And then again he was wrong because he killed his own father and he knew that it was his father.
October 23, 2006 at 11:24 am
A Horseman in the Sky is a story about a person named Carter Druse. Carter Druse was watching atop a hill of the federal union coming up this hill. The reason Carter Druse is watching atop this hill is because he had joined a union. When the people were coming up the mountain he saw a person on a horse. Carter takes out his rifle and points it at the man on the horse. But he didn’t want to shoot the man. Then he put the gun down and then pointed it on the horse. He aimed and fired at the horse. The horse and man went flying down the hill.
Then a person from the same union as Carter asked who was on the horse. Carter said,” That was my father.”
Carter Druse did the right and noble thing in a way. He did it right in a way because his father said what ever might occur, do what you conceive to be your duty. Carter does what his dad says and shoots the horse. After Carter shot he had realized that it was his father.
October 25, 2006 at 11:42 am
In the Horse Man in the Sky there was a terrible irony that happened.What Happened in the story was that Carter Druise was in a bush and he had seen someone sitting on top of a horse.His duty was to shoot him . He pulled his gun aimed it right at guys head and right before he shot he had realized that it was his dad sitting on top of the horse.After awhile he pulled his gun up and aimed it at the horse.He shot.The horse and guy went fallin to there death.
I think that he did the right thing but in another sense the wrong thing.The right ting is that he did his job.The wrong thing is that he killed his dad.I Cold’t kill my dad because I lived with him for my whole life.
October 25, 2006 at 11:43 am
Carter Druse comes to a very bad decision when it’s his duty to shoot his father’s horse, and, knowing that the horse being on the cliff after he shoots the horse and his father they will fall to their death. The type of irony used is situational irony. In this situation Carter’s father told him before he left that he is supposed to do what he thinks is his duty. He kills his father not by shooting him but by shooting the horse on the end of the cliff knowing that they will fall.
I think Carter did the right thing and I think he didn’t do the right thing. I think he did the right thing because he was on watch and I think he did do his duty because if he didn’t shoot his father that he would not be doing what his duty was, and that if Carter didn’t kill his father that more than likely the other people on Carter’s army would have killed him anyway.
October 25, 2006 at 11:44 am
This irony is situational. He had to shoot his dad because it was what he had to do or there would more deaths that day.
If we would let his father live there would have been ready for the attack that the union were plaining. He should not kill his dad so he shot the horse he was riding.
October 25, 2006 at 11:46 am
The story is situational irony which means what happens in the story is different from what we think would have happened.For instance you think he would have got in trouble in the beginning for sleeping when he was not supposed to but he did’nt. It is terrible because he had to make a very hard decision to kill his father or possibly have the other army kill their army.
Carter Druse did the right thing by shooting the horse of cliff. It was either to shoot his father and take only one life, or let him go and risk him telling his authorities that they were there and ambush them and take away the lives of many people. Which would mean they would lose the war for sure. I would have shot the horse because if I didn’t it could cost my own and many other peoples lives.
October 25, 2006 at 11:47 am
A horseman in the Sky is a story about a boy named Carter Druse who wants to join the army. When he joins the army he is given a post a top of a very high cliff where you can see almost everything and everyone. A horseman shows up and looks over the valley. Carter hopes he doesn’t see any of his troops or Carter will have to shoot him. But the horseman does see some of Carter tropes so carter shoots the horse and the man off the ledge. After a wile Carter’s officer comes by and asked him if he shot. Carter said yes, and then his sergeant asked him who went off the ledge. Carter said my Father. This is a irony, a specific type of irony. It’s called situational irony. Which means what happens in the story is different than what we expect to happen.
In this story Carter Druse kills his Father in the war. I think Carter Druse did the right thing. I say that because his father said, “Whatever may occur, do what ever you conceive to be your duty.” Carter’s father saw alot of Carter’s troops. If Carter didn’t shoot his father over the edge, Mr.Drues would have told all of his troops. Then carter adnd all of his troops would probably die. I would have done the same thing. It would be hard but I would just think someone would have died any way and that someone could have been me.
October 25, 2006 at 11:49 am
The terrible irony felt in this story is that he had to shoot his father because he had to protect his fellow comrades or there would be more deaths that day. If he would’ve let his father live he and his comrades would be dead. His father would have told his confederates because that was his duty while in service.
Carter Druse may have felt bad about what he had done, but in the end he did the right thing. His father told him he had to do what his job was. In his father’s words he told him “…and whatever may occur, do what you conceive to be your duty.” If that were I, I wouldn’t have killed my father. It would have brought me too much pain to do such a thing to a loved one. Yet, it was my duty I could not do it.
October 25, 2006 at 11:49 am
In the Story “A Horseman in the Sky” there is stituational irony. When his father says “Go Carter,and, whatever may occur, do what you conceive to be your duty” he doesn’t think that he will end up killing his own father. He kills his father, when he notices that his father sees the other soilders and where they have set up camp. So he shoots the horse and ends up sending them both over a cliff. If he hadn’t killed his father, the confederate soilders could have planned a surprise attack on the union soilders and they would probably have killed all the union soilder.
Carter Druse did the right and noble thing, even though he ended up killing his own father. Doing so, he saved many lives. I wouldn’t be able to have killed my father if I was in that situation, but he still did the right thing.
October 25, 2006 at 11:51 am
The terrible irony that the readers realize is that cater killed his father kind of. He did not technicnally kill his father, he killed the horse witch fell of the cliff, and that is how he killed his father.Carter did the right thing to a certain extent. The good thing that he did is he saved many peoples lives, but he also killed his own father witch alot of people could not do.
I would not be able to kill my own father because, he is my father, I mean it’s like when someone dies that you know you fell bad, but when you killed that person you twice as bad, you feel like crud, and the night mears would be horrible. Plus how could you live with your selfe, you know that you are a murder, that would be to much for me to handle or to covince myself that I did the right thing
October 25, 2006 at 11:52 am
The irony that is used in the story, “A Horseman is the Sky” is called situational irony. The irony of the story is the title. You expect they’re to be a spirit or angle flying in the sky but it was actually his dad and a horse falling off a cliff to their deaths.
He had to shoot his dad to protect is fellow comrades, because his father is on the Confederates side. The Confederates were planning a surprise attach on the Union, and Carter Druse had to make a decision. To kill his dad or watch him attack his fellow comrades. I think he did the right thing because even his father said,” And whatever may occur, do what you conceive to be your duties.”
November 8, 2006 at 6:13 am
Almost everyone understood the main irony of “A Horseman in the Sky.” I commend you all for seeing the truth of a horrific circumstance. It’s to all your credit that a story written at such an advanced level moved you.
Most of you indicated that you would not have been able to do what Carter Druse did in similar circumstances, though you understood why he killed his father. A smaller number saw the tragic necessity of what he did and thought that you might be able to do the same as he he did faced with similar circumstances. It would be a horrifying dilemma to have to confront, much like the one Ulysses confronted in the narrow strait between Scylla and Charybdis.
I’ve placed another post about “A Horseman in the Sky” at the top of the blog. No one understood another irony of the story, and I’m wondering now if, with a little assistance, any of you can get it. Give it an honest shot.
February 27, 2008 at 7:38 pm
IF YOU REALLY READ THE STORY HE DID NOT SEND HIS FATHER OVER THE CLIFF ITS TELL YOU ABOUT AN OFFICER THAT GOT UP AND RAN. HIS FATHER NEVER WENT OVER THE CLIFF BUT HE DID GOT BACK TO HIS BASE BUT HE NEVER TOLD WHERE TO OTHER SOLDIERS WERE
April 12, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Erica, if you re-read the story, you’ll discover that Carter Druse, the sentinel hiding in the laurel bushes atop the cliff, shot the horse his father sat astride, sending both over the cliff. The officer that got up and ran was exploring the terrain below the cliff. He was not Carter Druse. He saw the figure of the man and horse in the sky, which seemed incredible to him, so incredible that he chooses not to tell of it to his commanding officer. Later, another Federal officer has ascended the cliff to ask Druse if he had fired a shot. Druse says, yes, he did, at a horse. The sergeant then asks if a man was on the horse, and Druse answers, yes, his father.