Occurrence Essay

Wars do not accept anyone and everyone. There is a certain requirement for all who want to enlist. Peyton Farquhar in the short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce, was a farmer who was rejected from enlisting in the army. The story takes place during the Civil War in the South. Peyton came from a highly-respected family in the southern state Alabama. He was devoted to the southern customs. Peyton unfortunately was unable to enter the war due to certain Circumstances

In the short story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” the protagonist, Peyton Farquhar, experienced a life of ease up until his execution. Farquhar was issued the death penalty to pay for his wrong doing. Since the year 1976, there have only been 1,392 people executed. This statistic proves that the individuals committing a legal offense must have done something extremely severe, to be sentenced with this heavy of a punishment. Peyton was a thirty five year old civilian. He was extremely devoted

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” is a dubiously vivid and emotionally charged short story genre written by Ambrose Bierce, Originally published in 1890 by the San Francisco Examiner and later collected in his book “Tales of Soldiers and Civilians”, scholars and critics of his work conclude that this tale is “Bierce’s most anthologized story.” (Blume 211) Bierce’s experience as a Union Officer and veteran of the Civil War amplifies the credence of transpiring circumstances within its setting. Consequently

Reality Destroys Illusions Often times, people create their own realities as a coping mechanism to help them deal with their problems in the real world. In “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” written by Ambrose Bierce, Peyton Farquhar is sentenced to death after he is caught tampering with the railroad during the Civil War. Between the time it takes him to fall from his standing point on the bridge to hanging by the rope tied around his neck, he envisions a scene where the rope breaks and he escapes

I chose to write about “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” because it only lasts for a short few seconds, but it lasts for days in the mind of Peyton Farquhar. It is interesting to me how time is so much shorter in real life time than it is in the mind. This story took place in an Alabama town during the Civil War. Farquhar was a well-to-do planter, who was devoted to the Southern cause. Certain unknown circumstances prevented him from serving in the army. However, he still would do everything

Section I of An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge opens with very militaristic and precise details of a scene of a man standing upon a railroad bridge in Northern Alabama. With his arms tied up behind his back with a cord and a rope closely encircling his neck, it was attached to a stout cross-timber above his head, and the slack fell to the level of his knees (399). It is apparent that this man is awaiting execution. The man standing upon the bridge was named Peyton Farquhar. As he stood there, awaiting

Throughout the passage “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, the author, Ambrose Bierce, makes it evident that he believes that war is an unnatural and unnecessary aspect of human life. Through the use of several literary tactics, the author creates a message that supports his viewpoint. By writing a story regarding the death of a civilian, Bierce is able to elaborate on his belief that even the civilians are unintentionally harmed by the recklessness of war. The author is able to show an example

In “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, the speed of time and Peyton’s perceptions change throughout the story, depending on Peyton’s experiences, which make the reader question reality. While Peyton is on the bridge about to be hung, time begins to slow down in his mind. As the noose is around his neck; “He looked a moment at his "unsteadfast footing," then let his gaze wander to the swirling water of the stream racing madly beneath his feet. A piece of dancing driftwood caught his attention and

The writer of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” Ambrose Bierce, uses various literary devices and drives the plot forward in a fashion that builds suspense. Bierce paints a clear picture of the pain and feelings that Farquhar goes through in regards to the constriction of the noose and the heat of the bullets. While Farquhar is swimming, he is being berated with bullets and he somehow dodges them all. While this is happening, Bierce uses imagery and inner dialog to build suspense and make the

A Flash of Life In Robert Enrico’s short film, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, the audience is manipulated into believing a man on the brink of death gets a second chance at life. However, in the last scene of the short film, the man is literally snapped back to reality. The escape was merely an illusion and the man falls vertically to his death. Robert Enrico’s film ultimately shows the true meaning behind one’s life flashing before their eyes. The film opens by showing an image of a public