Theme Of Irony In An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Biierce

Although war is often idealized as an opportunity for wealth and glory, such aggressive patriotism only results in death in the end. In “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce, Bierce communicates the idea that war brings only death and anguish by utilizing literary devices in order to convey this theme. Bierce particularly uses irony and similes in order to convey the message that war does not yield glory. Instead, he employs these literary devices in order to reveal that war is nothing but an agent of death. Bierce uses irony and similes in order to convey the theme that war brings only death, not glory or distinction.
Bierce’s usage of irony portrays war as the agent of death and misery instead of glory and prestige. Farquhar’s …show more content…
Furthermore, as a result from participating in war, his fate is sealed with death and misery in place of glory and prestige. During Farquhar’s execution, his executioners were portrayed as indifferent sentinels in the face of war. When the two sentinels were guarding the bridge, they were depicted as ignorant to their roles as Farquhar’s executioners: “it did not appear to be the duty of these two men to know what was occurring at the center of the bridge, they merely blockaded the two ends of the foot planking that traversed it” (1). Although the soldiers were soon to be Farquhar’s executioners, they are oblivious to knowing that they are about to kill another person. This situation is ironic because it would be expected that the sentinels would be cognizant of their roles of Farquhar’s executioners, considering that an execution is a significant event. Because the sentinels have become so desensitized to death, they view this …show more content…
As Farquhar hears the ticking of his watch, it “hurt his ear like the thrust of a knife” (3). Bierce compares the ticking of Farquhar’s watch to thrusts of a knife. Because Farquhar experiences his watch ticking as thrusts of a knife, it indicates that it pains him to hear his life ticking away. As a result from participating in the war, he is conscious of his inevitable death. Although Farquhar expected to obtain prestige from the war, he worries about his execution, suggesting that war brings only doom. Farquhar is then hung by the noose, in which he felt sharp pains that felt “like streams of pulsating fire heating him to an intolerable temperature” (5). Bierce compares the pain of death as streams of pulsating fire, which suggests that the execution brought Farquhar only pain and misery. Because it was war that brought Farquhar to his execution, Bierce implies that war brings only death to those who participating in it. Afterwords, as Farquhar dives into the water, he hears the water roar in his ear “like the voice of Niagara” (7). Bierce compares the sound of the water rushing as the voice of Niagara. Farquhar experiences the sound of the river as one that is agonizing, suggesting that all moments leading up to his death are painful. Because Farquhar participated in war, he must not only worry about when he will die, but he must also endure the moments leading up to his