Poetry · Character

William Perry Peters

A name Bierce's narrator invokes with mock solemnity, one of the respectable citizens whose doings the verse keeps half-ironically in view.

supporting

Also known as Mr. Peters, Mr. William Perry Peters, Perry, whither Mr. Peters

First appearance: poetry

As a supporting figure in Poetry, William Perry Peters is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A public educator and orator from Muscatel who loves debate and is blown out a window by a donkey's bray.

In the storyMr. Fink’s Debating DonkeyOpen this moment free

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In Mr. Fink’s Debating Donkey: A public educator and orator from Muscatel who loves debate and is blown out a window by a donkey's bray. Later, in Constancy: Referenced as 'Hearst' (William Randolph Hearst), the other…

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Character Web

23 connections

A slice of how William Perry Peters sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Religious and Historical Figures
Protagonist
Diverse Allegorical and Named Figures
Recurring and Epithet-Laden Characters
Personifications and Named Characters
Judicial and Descriptive Characters

+18 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the speaker’s obsessive pursuit of the divine rose fragrance…

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In the story

William Perry Peters appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Mr. Fink’s Debating Donkey
A public educator and orator from Muscatel who loves debate and is blown out a window by a donkey's bray.
Constancy
Referenced as 'Hearst' (William Randolph Hearst), the other twin of constancy in the dream.
Yorick
Mentioned as Jim Peters who ran a faro game behind Wells Fargo.
The Woeful Tale of Mr. Peters
A proud and learned schoolteacher from Muscatel who meets a bizarre death after being consumed by the heat of public attention at a convention.

Chapter companion notes

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See William Perry Peters in Mr. Fink’s Debating Donkey