Ambrose Bierce's An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

Hidden Clues “An occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce, foreshadows the horrifying ending through a variety of literary techniques. Foreshadowing is an indication of a future event, which Bierce does by using imagery, paternal plot elements, and allusions. In this short story, Peyton Farquhar is in the process of being hanged for attempting to burn the bridge at Owl Creek; during his hanging he is dreaming of his escape back home. In Farquhar’s dream stage, Bierce foreshadows several times that Farquhar is only imaging what is happening in part three. Bierce uses a variety of techniques to foreshadow the appalling ending. One main technique used by Bierce to show foreshadowing is preternatural plot elements. Preternatural plot elements are elements that seem abnormal and unnatural to the plot. Bierce uses this technique when Farquhar is in full possession of his senses and feels and perceives things. For instance, “He felt the ripples upon his face and heard their separate sounds as they struck. He looked at the forest on the bank of the stream, saw the individual trees, the leaves and the veining of each leaf” …show more content…
Bierce uses this allusion throughout part three; for example, “His neck was in pain and lifting his hand to it found it horribly swollen” (489), and “One lodged between his collar and neck; it was uncomfortably warm and he snatched it out” (487). Both of these examples are foreshadowing that the pain in his neck and wrists is actually the pain that he feels as he is being hanged. Another example of an allusion is, “Doubtless, despite his suffering, he had fallen asleep while walking, for now he sees another scene-perhaps he has merely recovered from a delirium” (489). Farquhar falling asleep while walking is foreshadowing the ending by hinting that he is not actually walking but is “sleepwalking” in his