Owl Creek Bridge Hero

Ambrose Bierce’s, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, is the story of a want-to-be hero. The main character, Peyton Farquhar, cannot participate in the war, and has to stick to just being a farmer. Bierce puts a spin on what it is to be a hero in this story, and what happens to them. In his story through the eyes of Farquahr, one must be a soldier, do something spectacular, and then make away back home to the soldiers family, to be a hero. These are the three parts of what it means to be a hero; although Farquhar interestingly enough, never gets to be a hero. In an unexpected turn of events, Farquhar is actually dies in the seconds after the Union soldier drops the floor from under Farquhar. To do something spectacular, one must have a purpose. In the beginning Farquhar does not have a purpose in the war, because he is not allowed to be in the war alongside his fellows. Being in the heart of the South, Farquhar, “is certainly dedicated to the southern cause. He owns slaves and is intent on southern victory so he can maintain his livelihood and lifestyle” (Shmoop Editorial Team). Farquhar over hears a rumor that the Owl Creek Bridge needs to be destroyed, so taking into account that he wants to be a hero, Farquhar
Peyton Farquhar does not become a soldier, he does not have a spectacular moment, and he definitely does not make it home safely to his wife. Yet, Peyton is viewed as a hero in this story because he wanted to be, and was going to be all those things. The reader believes the entire time that Peyton is being a hero with all his triumphant actions, and is shocked to find that he actually has died, and that he is just imagining escaping. So Bierce makes the reader think about if all of Peyton’s day dreams were truly that of a hero, or if none of those things make a hero an actual hero and that is why Peyton Farquhar encountered his