More often than not, the movies and television series we all know and love aren’t original stories; they are, in some way, shape, or form, adaptations of various forms of literature. For example, beloved titles such as Game of Thrones and Harry Potter, among numerous others, hail from written works bearing the same names. However, this practice of adapting pieces of literature is often scrutinized, for there is always a question as to whether or not an adaptation does justice to the original story it is based on. For example, Ambrose Bierce penned the short story titled “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” which follows the hanging of Peyton Farquhar, a Southern plantation owner who faces execution during the American Civil War for attempted sabotage of the Union Army. Miraculously, the rope snaps as he is hung and Peyton manages to escape, but it turns out that Peyton’s escape never occurred as he hangs dead at Owl Creek Bridge. Often considered an American classic, it is no surprise that Suspense, one of numerous radio shows
…show more content…
In the original text, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” possessed a minimal amount of characters: our protagonist, Peyton Farquhar, his wife, the Union spy, and the various members of the Union Army present at the execution. This absence of characters allows the reader to focus solely on our protagonist and his impossible escape, providing us an understanding that the only reason he fights to live is due to his love for his wife and children. Towards the end of the story, when Peyton finally makes it back home and sees his wife ready to welcome him, Bierce writes “Ah, how beautiful she is! He springs forward with extended arms” (Bierce 229). He then delivers the soul-crushing ending of his story, revealing that, despite finally reuniting with the one he loves, Peyton is, in reality, hanging from the Owl Creek
In the original text, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” possessed a minimal amount of characters: our protagonist, Peyton Farquhar, his wife, the Union spy, and the various members of the Union Army present at the execution. This absence of characters allows the reader to focus solely on our protagonist and his impossible escape, providing us an understanding that the only reason he fights to live is due to his love for his wife and children. Towards the end of the story, when Peyton finally makes it back home and sees his wife ready to welcome him, Bierce writes “Ah, how beautiful she is! He springs forward with extended arms” (Bierce 229). He then delivers the soul-crushing ending of his story, revealing that, despite finally reuniting with the one he loves, Peyton is, in reality, hanging from the Owl Creek