The Man and the Snake is a short story written by Ambrose Bierce. The story is about the death of Harker Brayton, who died out of 'fear of fits' by the presence of a toy snake in his bedroom.
The story begins with Brayton reading a newspaper article from 'Marvell's of Science.' The article talked about the quality of snakes that can lead a person to death without snake biting him or her. The quote in the first paragraph from the magazine suggested that a man can die merely by looking intently into the eyes of the snake.
This quote foreshadows the presence of a snake in Brayton's room and his ultimate death by gazing into the snake's eyes and die out of fright. The quote established a persuasive power which led Brayton to fearful fits.
