An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

451 Words2 Pages
"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is written by Ambrose Bierce and takes place in Alabama during the Civil War. Peyton Farquhar is sentenced to death by hanging for disturbing the Owl Creek Bridge. Both imagination and reality have an affect on the story. Imagination and reality also coincide to further the story. Imagination played a huge role in "An Occurrence at Own Creek Bridge". From the reduced ticking of the watch to Farquhar almost embracing his wife, Bierce uses Peyton Farquhar's imagination to entertain readers. Most of Farquhar's imagination is in Part III, it starts when "The intervals of silence grew progressively longer...." This represents that Farquhar its trying to control what is happening in reality with his imagination. Also, in Part III, Bierce tells the audience what is going through Peyton Farquhar's mind. They say before you die, your whole life flashes before your eyes, but for him, Farquhar sees his escape.…show more content…
In reality, Farquhar didn't experience his escape from the hanging. As he is about to clasp her he feels a stunning blow up on the back of the neck; a blinding white light blazes all about him with a sound like the shock of a cannon-then all is darkness and silence. Peyton Farquhar was dead; it's body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath timber of the Owl Creek Bridge." As Farquhar is reaching for his wife, he dies. Farquhar isn't actually about to touch her. From the time he thinks he escaping, Farquhar is actually falling from the plank and is being
Open Document