Critical Essay on An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge Text

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Literary analysis of an occurrence at owl creek bridge an occurrence at owl creek bridge is written by ambrose bierce. A man, peyton farquhar, is caught tarnishing with the bridge and is sentenced to be hanged. Ambrose bierce designed this piece of literature to keep the readers attention, by going into the mind of peyton. While standing towards the edge of the plank, peyton starts to dream of his escape back to his family. In the last paragraph of the story, the author tells of how peyton is only dreaming and then he is hanged. An occurrence at owl creek bridge is suspenseful due to the effectiveness of flashbacks, the setting, and the use of peyton’s senses. Throughout the sequence of this story, the use of flashbacks describes the lifestyle peyton farquhar lives before he is caught tampering with the bridge.

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As the story describes peyton’s life and work, they tell of how he is a well to do planter, as well as a slave owner who is devoted to the southern cause 532. Suspense builds during this particular part of the story because a soldier arrives to their house asking for a drink of water. The soldier tells peyton, the yanks are repairing the railroads…any civilian caught interfering with the railroad, its bridges, tunnels or trains will be summarily hanged 532.

Knowing this soldier is a federal scout from the north and peyton is a southern plantation owner, builds suspense because these two people have entirely different viewpoints of what is right. The setting, which takes place in the forest, provides a major part of suspense to the story. While peyton is awaiting his deathbed, he takes a look around to find someone, but nobody was in sight the railroad ran straight away into a forest for a hundred yards, then, curving, was lost to view 531. He feels his life is soon over and he looked a moment at his unstead fast footing , then let his gaze wander to the swirling water 531. As he walks home during the nightfall, black bodies of the trees formed a straight wall on both sides, terminating on the horizon in a point, like a diagram in a lesson in perspective 535. Suspense is built within the setting, because in his head he thinks the forest lies in a perfect position which makes readers think he could be dreaming.

Standing on the plank, over the bridge he hears a sound, striking through the thought of his dear ones was a sound which he could neither ignore nor understand, a sharp, distinct, metallic percussion like the stroke of a blacksmith’s hammer upon the anvil it had the same ringing quality 531. The thought that death is inevitable, institutes a new perspective into peyton’s life. As peyton falls into the water, his senses are awaken as he comes to the surface and feels the ripples upon his face and heard their separate sounds as they stuck 533. No person, if faced with a situation like this, would be able to think clearly enough to use his or her senses to escape the situation. He looked at the forest on the bank of the stream, saw the individual tees, the leaves and the veining of each leaf… 534. His senses allow him to know where or where not to move based on the sound of the shot. As peyton glances over his shoulder he looks straight into the barrel of the musket from a distance where a normal person would not be able to see it from.

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From the front gate of his house, he sees a flutter of female garments…as he is about to clasp her he feels a stunning blow upon the back of the neck 536. While dreaming, he feels such a strong passion to get free, his senses tell him that he escapes. Throughout this short story, suspense is built in flashbacks, the setting, and the use of peyton’s senses. This story builds up all of the suspense through these three points, then in the last two paragraphs reveals all of the hidden secrets.

While peyton is waiting to be hanged, his thoughts start to run wild and he begins to dream. Due to his evasion, the readers are attached to the story only to find out peyton is dreaming and then dies. Peyton farquhar, the protagonist of ldquo an occurrence at owl creek bridge, rdquo is a shadowy figure who eventually becomes a two sided character in the story. Little is known about him beyond the class distinctions that make him a seemingly unlikely candidate for execution as a confederate agitator.

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Farquhar is a son of privilege and southern dandy, and his life of ease has done little to prepare him for the rigors faced among the front lines of the civil war. In section ii, we learn that vague circumstances had prevented farquhar from enlisting in the confederate army, leaving him desperate to contribute to the southern cause and prove his devotion. Because he is so determined to achieve distinction, he is vulnerable to the trap set for him by the disguised northern scout.

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