An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Ambrose Bierce

Pre-Discussion An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge opens with an execution about to take place. Standing on an isolated, heavily guarded bridge, with a noose around his neck, Peyton Farquhar is doomed. There is no escape. Or is there? Do you think it is possible to escape the inevitable?

Point of View There are several types of point of view: First Person: told by a character in the story whose knowledge is limited to his/her own experience. Third Person Omniscient: told by a voice outside the story who knows the thoughts and feelings of all the characters. Third Person Limited: told by a person outside of the story who focuses on one character's thoughts and feelings. What type of point of view is being used in this story?

Point of View For the most part, the author employs the third person limited point of view. However, the author begins the story as a third person omniscient narrator and gradually flows into the third person limited (part I). Do you think this odd order helps or hinders the text? How? Do you think the switch helps affect the level of suspense? How?

Literary Structure The story is set during the Civil War, focusing on the Confederate soldier, Peyton Farquhar, who is awaiting to be hanged. The story was written in three parts: Part I: The reader is introduced to Peyton's current situation and his mindset. Part II: Payton's background and how he obtained the misfortune of having a noose around his neck on Owl Creek Bridge. Part III: What goes on in Payton's mind before his hanging: an imagined escape from the noose, the bridge, and death. Ending in a realistic turn, Peyton is hanged, his neck breaks, and he does die.

Literary Elements Personification: to present a inanimate object as a living being, usually a human being. Tone: the mood of the text. Character Development: the use of situations where the character of the protagonist becomes evident.

Foreshadowing Bierce uses foreshadowing masterfully in this short story. Bierce introduces the readers to the possibility that Peyton may have escaped in part III, only to shock them with a blunt and realistic ending. But is it that shocking? Throughout most of part III, Bierce uses foreshadowing, in the form of physical pains that plague Peyton as he escapes, to introduce the reader to the possibility that Peyton is actually dying and the escape is nothing more than a fantasy.

Beginning of Part III: “His neck was in pain and lifting his hand to it found it horribly swollen. He knew that it had a circle of black where the rope had bruised it. His eyes felt congested; he could no longer close them. His tongue was swollen with thirst; he relieved its fever by thrusting it forward from between his teeth into the cold air. How softly the turf had carpeted the untraveled avenue--he could no longer feel the roadway beneath his feet!” What is highlighted in yellow are all the indicators of the fact that Peyton is going through the hanging process – the reality of being hanged. What the reader is left with is still the fantastic to dwell in. The fantasy/reality mix allows the reader to slowly break from the fantasy and come into a slow realization that Peyton is in fact dying. This foreshadowing paves the road to a rather abrupt ending.

Tone As mentioned before, this short story takes place during the Civil War. The tone of the text is rather brooding and nostalgic. Based on Peyton’s dreams of glory and his ultimate fate, what point might Bierce be making about: Heroism The realities of war The dangers of fantasy

Character Development The shift from third-person omniscient to third-person limited assists Bierce in developing Peyton’s character. Reread lines 143-160. What details does the author use to capture the panic of a man in danger of drowning? How do these details contribute to character development? What do you think Peyton’s fantasies about escape reveal about his character?