An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce

Plot • We meet a man who is about to be hanged • He is a 35 year planter who is also described as a gentleman • In the second part of the story we find that he is being hanged because he sabotaged a bridge after he was fooled by a Federal Scout (in disguise) • In the third part the man imagines escaping when the rope breaks • He swings side to side with a broken neck at the end of the story

Conflicts • Being Hanged • Thinking of his wife and children • Thinking of his escape • Thinking if his death • Should he help by interfering with the bridge

Setting • A Bridge in Northern Alabama

Major Characters • Peyton Farquhar (the man being hanged)

Minor Characters • Mrs. Farquhar • Federal Scout

Author Background • Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914?) • Wrote most of his stories about his experiences in the Civil War • He was a very cynical man • Moved to Mexico in 1913 and was never heard from again • It is believed he was killed in the siege of Ojinaga (Mexico was in the midst of a civil war when he moved there) • He wrote during the literary period of American Realism

Symbols • The water symbolizes the freedom Farquhar imagines as he thinks of his family (can also symbolize his imagination) • His watch symbolizes his impending death as well as his final seconds of life as they are ticking away • The noose also symbolizes his inescapable death

Theme • The powers of the imagination in times of tragedy • The relativity of time can make seconds seem like hours and hours like seconds

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge