An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Symbolism is a device that can make even the most solid ideas crumble down because of what the author is trying to say “in between the lines.” Ambrose Bierce wrote “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” with real world experience. “Bierce was especially suited to write stories about the Civil War, since he served in the Union army”(An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Shmoop). This man was a part of a war, which gave him the knowledge of how things worked in the military, thus the in-depth detail of the military officers within the story. The use of symbolism in, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” creates an uncanny feeling and sends chills down the spine of any reader that really pays attention to the level of …show more content…
Starting with the first sentence of the short story we can see the symbolism. Bierce says, “A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama, looking down into the swift water twenty feet below.” In this beginning sentence, Bierce is symbolizing the mystery of any situation. The man remains nameless, standing on a nameless bridge in northern Alabama. Below is a river that remains nameless. This reeks of mysterious features. Bierce is showing a very strong sense of evil and is pointing it out in very small ways, such as this one. “...his executioners--two private soldiers of the Federal army, directed by a sergeant who in civil life may have been a deputy…” We are looking at the evil that is represented by the soldiers that are being named here as executioners. In modern day, most soldiers, especially privates and sergeants, are not generally given the task of executing someone by hanging. A blockade is used to show that this mystery man is trapped and cannot free himself. “...they merely blockaded the two ends of the foot planking that traversed it.” The men had no interest in what was going on on the bridge it seemed.
Bierce was a man that had ideas that were more modern than his time.
When Ambrose Bierce used symbolism, the effects were mass and widespread emotion wise.
In conclusion, Ambrose Bierce wrote a short story that he became remembered by, and will continue to be remembered by
Symbolism is a device that can make even the most solid ideas crumble down because of what the author is trying to say “in between the lines.” Ambrose Bierce wrote “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” with real world experience. “Bierce was especially suited to write stories about the Civil War, since he served in the Union army”(An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Shmoop). This man was a part of a war, which gave him the knowledge of how things worked in the military, thus the in-depth detail of the military officers within the story. The use of symbolism in, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” creates an uncanny feeling and sends chills down the spine of any reader that really pays attention to the level of …show more content…
Starting with the first sentence of the short story we can see the symbolism. Bierce says, “A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama, looking down into the swift water twenty feet below.” In this beginning sentence, Bierce is symbolizing the mystery of any situation. The man remains nameless, standing on a nameless bridge in northern Alabama. Below is a river that remains nameless. This reeks of mysterious features. Bierce is showing a very strong sense of evil and is pointing it out in very small ways, such as this one. “...his executioners--two private soldiers of the Federal army, directed by a sergeant who in civil life may have been a deputy…” We are looking at the evil that is represented by the soldiers that are being named here as executioners. In modern day, most soldiers, especially privates and sergeants, are not generally given the task of executing someone by hanging. A blockade is used to show that this mystery man is trapped and cannot free himself. “...they merely blockaded the two ends of the foot planking that traversed it.” The men had no interest in what was going on on the bridge it seemed.
Bierce was a man that had ideas that were more modern than his time.
When Ambrose Bierce used symbolism, the effects were mass and widespread emotion wise.
In conclusion, Ambrose Bierce wrote a short story that he became remembered by, and will continue to be remembered by