Comparing An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge And The Blue Hotel

Naturalism, an adjunction of realism, culminated in the 1880’s which suggested conceptual perspectives to a man, his life and his actions. During this literary movement authors, such as Stephen Crane and Ambrose Bierce, illuminated of the depictions of everyday realities and the underlying forces in nature. Through these two authors and the stories “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” and “The Blue Hotel,” we analyze the properties and representations of naturalistic writing and natural literary elements. Naturalism exists within each short story through a specific account of themes that comprise the literary style: the distinction of natural elements and their roles, the collaboration between man and nature by likeness, and the inevitable forces of natural fate acting upon man. …show more content…
The protagonist of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” by Ambrose Bierce, Peyton Farquhar, experiences an event of psychological realism causing an episode of fantastical illusion. Throughout the events of Farquhar’s invention he glorifies the characteristics of the natural world; “ he dug his fingers into the sand, threw it over himself in handfuls and audibly blessed. It looked like gold, like diamonds, rubies, emeralds,” (Bierce 323). Bierce uses many examples for the relationship between Farquhar and nature during his hallucination such as the way the stream carries him away safely from the bullets of the soldiers atop the bridge and the delight promised from the trees, wind and sun as he sat along the bank; “he had no wish to perfect his escape, was content to remain in that enchanting spot until retaken,” (Bierce 323). The narrator allows the reader to realize the appreciation for nature in this story and how it conveys the distinction, or lack of, between human and