Short story analysis

Short story analysis

`Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge` by Ambrose Bierce is an exquisite little piece that recreates for the reader the agony of the dying person , the cultural attitudes to death , and the historic reality of the described period . Through giving the readers a glimpse into the inner workings of human cognition , the author creates an exciting story , full of suspense and crowing the reader 's efforts with an unexpected ending

Although entitled `Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge` , Bierce 's story centers on the events created by the imagination of the

main character Peyton Farquhar , who was hanged for his subversive act against the enemy troops . The author spends seven pages recounting the events that evolve in the consciousness of the main character who envisages a tentative way to escape and dreams of what would have happened if the rope had been broken . In the end , the reader realizes that in fact Farquhar was hanged in a regular manner , nothing extraordinary happened at his execution and the whole escape story is but a creation of his suffocating imagination . With this unexpected finale , the author creates an elegant piece structured along the classical lines of initial incident (preparation for the execution , the rising action (Farquhar 's passionate fight for his life , and climax (the realization that the character is already dead . Bierce does not bring any closing , or falling action to end the story . The final sentence is where the revelation comes to the reader : Peyton Farquhar was dead his body with a broken neck , swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge (Kennedy , Gioia 2005 :508

Farquhar seems to be the only rounded character in the story , shown from diverse perspectives . On the one hand , he is a devoted patriot , led by his ambition to defend the country as he understands it and willing to risk his life to subvert the Yankees ' military advances . At the same time , standing on the Owl Creek bridge , he is seized by the natural human instinct for survival and seems undisturbed by patriotic ideals although the story never mentions his regret over his actions . In this way , he is depicted as a combination of elevated , deeply human traits and atavistic , animal longing for life exemplified in his desperate struggle . Farquhar is the central character all the rest , including his wife , the Federal scout , and the firing squad seem in comparison to him elements of the setting , creating background for Farquhar 's feelings and ideas

Farquhar is part of the conflict that tears apart his external environment - the nation submerged in the Civil War . Being a devoted Southerner , he is forced to look on the ongoing military events as his own cause , which motivates him to undertake his attack . Although the story focuses on Farquhar 's instinctive urges rather than social causes of his deed , it nevertheless provides some cultural and historic context in which the audience can place and evaluate Farquhar 's actions . Thus he is viewed...