An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

In the short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce, the story starts by immediately drawing the reader in, showcasing Bierce's vast knowledge of literary skills: "A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama, looking down into the swift water twenty feet below. The man's hands were behind his back, the wrists bound with a cord," (Bierce, 1). Bierce fought in the Civil War, which inspired his collection of macabre Civil War based stories. "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is no exception. The story takes place in the Civil War era, after the confederacy was routed. Peyton Farquhar, a wealthy Southern plantation owner, is about to be hung for attempting to set fire to Owl Creek Bridge. Farquhar falls when the plank is removed. The rope breaks and he falls into the river, making a miraculous escape. Avoiding several volleys of musket and cannon fire, Farquhar stumbles through the woods. Just as Farquhar arrives at home, the story jumps back into reality, informing the reader Farquhar is actually dead and hanging from the bridge; his escape was merely a hallucination. Upon completion of the story, the reader realizes how Bierce successfully manipulated them through his text, and is left in shock. Bierce makes this possible through his extensive use of literary skills including a realistic point of view, emotional tone, and a fast-paced storyline. Bierce's experience with writing and war allows him to play on the reader's lack of knowledge and use an effective point of view. In modern day, the logistics of hangings, and what happens after, are not commonly known facts. For instance, the average reader does not find it suspicious that the hanging is taking place on the bridge because they don't know any different. But in reality, a hanging would never take place on one, Farquhar's hallucination being the main reason. Daniel E. Samide states, "On a conventional gallows, he would easily be recaptured because there would be solid ground