Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Bierce

Essay, Research Paper

“ An Happening at Owl Creek Bridge ” can be considered a work of

pragmatism for three grounds. The first is Bierce & # 8217 ; s use of his ain military

background giving this narrative a sense of genuineness. Bierce besides conveys his

cynicism after taking the reader to believe otherwise. Finally, this narrative

provides societal review of the South during the Civil War. Bierce goes to great

lengths to depict the gap sequence in footings of its military agreement.

He provides graphic images of troop formations and soldier stances like “ a

individual company of foot in line, at & # 8216 ; parade rest & # 8217 ; the butts of the rifles on

the land, the barrels tending backward against the right shoulder, the custodies

crossed upon the stock. ” ( Bierce 269 ) . He besides takes the clip to depict

precisely how fortified the Owl Creek Bridge is. He shows his military experience

by depicting a route that stretches out of site and assuming that

“ Doubtless there was an outstation further along. ” ( Bierce 269 ) . The

processs of a military executing were explained exhaustively including the codification

of behavior: “ In the codification of military etiquette silence and fastness are signifiers

of respect. ” ( Bierce 269 ) . Bierce earned the moniker “ Bitter Bierce ”

( Bierce 268 ) early in his life for his cynicism. This is non apparent in this

narrative until the terminal. The 3rd and concluding portion begins with a sequence of

marvelous happenings leting Peyton Farquhar to get away from his hanging. The

description of these events leads the reader to believe that Bierce is a

Romantic writer instead than a realist. The rope interruptions dropping him into the

brook. He so uses his “ superhuman strength ” ( Bierce 272 ) to take

the rope from around his cervix. Peyton is so blessed with augmented senses

seeing the venas on foliages in the wood and hearing gnats and darning needle wings

in the distance. He so sees the oculus of a sharpshooters on the span through the

range on the rifle. Amazingly, this sharpshooter misses what should be an easy

mark and allows Farquhar to swim further downstream. Peyton so manages to

avoid a bombardment of slugs, cannon fire, and eventually grapeshot and is merely

wounded by one slug. In contrast to the first portion, the scenery is now

described as a dream universe of “ unusual roseate visible radiation ” , trees that expression

like “ elephantine garden workss ” , and “ great aureate stars ” ( Bierce

274 ) . He describes the agreement of the trees as holding “ definite

order ” and the stars are in order of “ secret and malign

significance ” ( Bierce 274 ) . This suggests what Peyton is seeing is

contrived instead than existent. The writer besides gives more direct intimations to what

happens in actuality. In the first portion Farquhar imagines how he would get away

while he is waiting to be hung which coincidently is how it happens. In the

terminal, his concluding idea is of his married woman recognizing him at the front gate. This is

revealed ab initio in the first portion: “ He closed his eyes in order to repair

his last ideas upon his married woman and kids. ” ( Bierce 270 ) . Another

indicant is the mention to the individual slug to hit him in the H2O. The

lesion is to his

cervix and described as uncomfortably warm. This is much like the

description of how the noose felt around his cervix. The cannon ball that hits

nearby creates a moving ridge that “ equine distempers ” Peyton. Later in Farquhar & # 8217 ; s

journey his lingua is swollen and his eyes no longer close. His lingua is stuck

out and he loses feeling of the land. These are all physical manifestations of

his hanging that intrude on the flight phantasy. Just as Peyton approaches his

married woman is when Bierce eventually reveals Farquhar & # 8217 ; s true destiny. He feels a blow to the

back of his cervix and so there is darkness and silence. After painting a

image of Peyton Farquhar & # 8217 ; s marvelous flight, Bierce brings cruel world by

leting him to be executed thereby demoing his cynicism. The 3rd facet of

Ambrose Bierce & # 8217 ; s composing that makes him a realist was his usage of societal review

of the Civil War Southerner. Peyton is a affluent Alabama plantation and break one’s back

proprietor who is hence devoted to the southern cause. His nationalism can be seen

by his desire for service in the “ gallant ground forces that fought in the

black runs ” ( Bierce 271 ) . Peyton knows that his “ chance

for differentiation ” ( Bierce 271 ) will come and experience that no undertaking is excessively

little. He is non to function in the Confederate ground forces due to “ fortunes of

an disdainful nature ” ( Bierce 270 ) . This statement shows that the lone

people who didn & # 8217 ; t fight the conflicts were the lone 1s who stood to derive from

triumph. Volunteering for the Union Army himself, Bierce mocks the Confederate

cause. It is when a Confederate soldier arrives at his place that Peyton knows

his chance has arrived. He asks the soldier enthusiastically about the Owl

Creek Bridge and despite hearing the warning of executing continues to inquire

“ Suppose a man-a civilian and pupil of hanging-should elude the lookout

station and possibly acquire the better of a lookout, what could he carry through? ” ( Bierce

271 ) . While it shows that he wants to be a hero for the South it besides reveals

that he has most likely hung slaves earlier. This is likely done to demo

another defect in the southern cause. Peyton and his married woman view the soldiers of the

Confederate states with the greatest of regard. Peyton & # 8217 ; s married woman “ was merely excessively happy

to function him with her ain white custodies. ” ( Bierce 271 ) . This could be

interpreted in two similar ways. The first is that her delicate custodies are

typically non set to work due to wealth. The other is a direct mention to

race. She respects the ideal of a soldier so much that she is willing to make a

break one’s back & # 8217 ; s work to demo her grasp. To demo his grasp, Peyton is

willing to go forth his household and hazard his life to make something to assist the South.

It is this blind nationalism which causes him to lose sight of what is truly

of import, his household. The psychotic belief of his flight from executing eventually made

him realize that he wanted nil else than to be with his household.

Unfortunately, Bierces misanthropic manner of composing lone lets him happen out when its

excessively tardily.

Bierce, Ambrose. “ An Happening at Owl Creek Bridge. ” Norton

Anthology of American Literature: Volume 2. Ed. Nina Baym, et al. New York: W. W

Norton, 1998. 268-275.