Essays on An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

Introduction

Ambrose Bierce is a prominent author known for his many works one of which is An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. This is the story of Peyton Farquhar a planter from the South. The story is set during the civil war. Peyton has been sentenced to hang by the Union Army for his failed attempt at destroying the Owl Creek railroad bridge. The author leads the reader to believe that Peyton escapes the hanging by falling into the river below and reunites with his wife and children at his farm. This is not the case since it is revealed ...

- Introduction

The physical environment, as described in a story, can take on different meanings and describe various physical sensations when perceived by the narrator, both in first and in third person. The quality of the descriptions relating to the physical, sensual feelings such as sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch are affected by an omnipotent narrator writing from a third person perspective, or when written from a ...

Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is one of the most important American short stories. Set during the American Civil War, it narrates the tale of a Southerner who is hung for treason after trying to go against the Union. Throughout the whole tale, this character, Farquhar Peyton, is seen longing for liberty as he is alienated to Southern aspirations, which serves as a sharp counterpoint to the situation of slaves in the Confederate States. One of the main motifs of the story is the main character’s yearning for freedom. From the beginning paragraph, Farquhar’s aspirations ...

Themes in “Barn Burning” and “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”

William Faulkner and Ambrose Bierce are both extraordinary writers, and they each have many publications that cover a variety of themes. Of interest are William Faulkner’s short story, “Barn Burning,” and Ambrose Bierce’s short story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” Although both short stories comment on a variety of values and ideas, they are both connected by the very powerful theme of loyalty versus principle. Both stories share several similarities, but the strongest similarity is how they tackle the theme of loyalty versus morality. In fact, both of these stories tackle this theme through the protagonist of ...

How is the reader presented with an unresolved issue Analysis?

“A Mystery of Heroism” by the author Stephen Crane is a story based on the soldiers at war. The story highlights Fred Collins, a soldier, during one of the civil wars in Europe who goes to look out for water so as to save his fellow soldiers in the middle of the war taking place; his colleague soldiers think his act as being stupid and foolish but Collins thinks it will be a heroic act to get to the well amid the battle and fetch water (Crane, 2010). He feels that since he does intimidated by any fear, passing through the battlefield ...

Analysis

Ambrose Bierce was an American editorialist also a journalist a short story writer and a satirist. He is probably best known for his mystical story, An Occurrence at owl Creek Bridge’ which is set in the American civil War as well as his satirical lexicon ‘The Devil’s Dictionary’. He had quite a sardonic view of human matters and was also pretty vehement as a critic actually earning himself the reputation, ‘Bitter Bierce’. Bierce was born in Ohio on June 24th 1842 and quickly rose to fame after publication of his short stories and other literary pieces. He disappeared after going to Mexico ...

‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” starts with Peyton Farquhar standing on bridge, with his hands tied behind his back and a noose around his neck. His execution is near and he diverts himself from reality and focuses on his imagination in which he is with his wife and children. Again he opens his eyes and sees driftwood in water below. Soon he imagines himself as the driftwood floating and escaping from water, away from his executioners and near his home. He finds his way home, travel throughout the day and when he is about to embrace his wife, the ...