Jason Chiappa
Instructor Tillema
COM1102
5 October 2017
Point of View, Symbolism, and Verisimilitude in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," by Ambrose Bierce, is like something out of "The Twilight Zone"; hence, it was turned into an episode of the television series itself. After viewing this short film from the year 1962 more than once, several elements of short stories were identifiable; however, the film does not explain any specific historical context. The story takes place in the American Civil War era on a railroad bridge. The Northern soldiers caught the main character, Peyton Farquhar, interfering with their construction of a railroad and the punishment was to be "summarily hanged." The …show more content…
In "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," the deception caused by the imagination is what drives the plot of the short story. Bierce tries to make the reader think everything is real before surprising the reader with a harsh reality at the end. The trick is making everything seem as real as possible by providing ample detail. However, Bierce includes a few things that seem a bit unrealistic, which is a hint that Farquhar is simply imagining his escape. For example, the odds of not getting hit by a lethal bullet are extremely small when there are that many soldiers aiming at him. Then, when Farquhar is all the way downstream, an artillery bomb lands right next to him, but there is no way the soldiers were still able to see him. Also, sleepwalking into his backyard after a day of running away from the bridge is extremely unlikely. Another hint is given in the film I that the tone of the commander on the bridge after Farquhar resurfaces is unnaturally low as if it was played back in slow motion. This is confusing to the viewer until realizing that it is intentional. In conclusion, most of the story is simply a product of the main character's imagination but is presented with …show more content…
The short story is unique in that way because the plot is centered in the realm of imagination instead of reality. In a historical context, the short story is also unique by portraying the antagonists as the same people fighting to free the slaves. The reader learns that from a slave owner's point of view, being on the brink of death brings out the same desired outcome that any other moral person would have. Without analyzing important literary elements like point of view, symbolism, and important concepts like verisimilitude, the reader of a short story can overlook the author's purpose and fail to develop an interpretation of the story's
Instructor Tillema
COM1102
5 October 2017
Point of View, Symbolism, and Verisimilitude in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," by Ambrose Bierce, is like something out of "The Twilight Zone"; hence, it was turned into an episode of the television series itself. After viewing this short film from the year 1962 more than once, several elements of short stories were identifiable; however, the film does not explain any specific historical context. The story takes place in the American Civil War era on a railroad bridge. The Northern soldiers caught the main character, Peyton Farquhar, interfering with their construction of a railroad and the punishment was to be "summarily hanged." The …show more content…
In "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," the deception caused by the imagination is what drives the plot of the short story. Bierce tries to make the reader think everything is real before surprising the reader with a harsh reality at the end. The trick is making everything seem as real as possible by providing ample detail. However, Bierce includes a few things that seem a bit unrealistic, which is a hint that Farquhar is simply imagining his escape. For example, the odds of not getting hit by a lethal bullet are extremely small when there are that many soldiers aiming at him. Then, when Farquhar is all the way downstream, an artillery bomb lands right next to him, but there is no way the soldiers were still able to see him. Also, sleepwalking into his backyard after a day of running away from the bridge is extremely unlikely. Another hint is given in the film I that the tone of the commander on the bridge after Farquhar resurfaces is unnaturally low as if it was played back in slow motion. This is confusing to the viewer until realizing that it is intentional. In conclusion, most of the story is simply a product of the main character's imagination but is presented with …show more content…
The short story is unique in that way because the plot is centered in the realm of imagination instead of reality. In a historical context, the short story is also unique by portraying the antagonists as the same people fighting to free the slaves. The reader learns that from a slave owner's point of view, being on the brink of death brings out the same desired outcome that any other moral person would have. Without analyzing important literary elements like point of view, symbolism, and important concepts like verisimilitude, the reader of a short story can overlook the author's purpose and fail to develop an interpretation of the story's