An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

The Grotesque theme used in stories is one that causes the reader to react and take the step towards a deeper thinking. The idea of Grotesque in writing is somewhere in-between comedy and frightening. Grotesqueness can be something as simple as a story about a misshapen man to a story about a man’s fall to a state psychological terror. In the case of grotesque stories with a goal of terror the events of the story can be seen as unthinkable, disgusting, and confusing in a way of distortion for…

Human beings have a desire of finding their way back to the Garden. Humans all seek the ultimate serenity that thrives in the Garden. The American Garden simply represents a concept. Humans believe they can regain the lost Garden of Eden by creating a new Garden of Eden in the physical universe. Thus, the theory that emerges from this concept is that, America embodies the new Garden of Eden, because America is a country of opportunity and individual prosperity. However, the physical attributes…

Over the last 153 years, American culture, society, and history have all been drastically changed. Authors from all over the country and from different time periods kept track of these changes through writing literature about their lives. Many of the poems, stories, and plays were America’s first form of broadcast news. Literature would spark revolutions that could cause change. Three changes that shaped America into what it is known as today were: women gaining independence, the integration of…

soldier and who in good faith…” (Bierce, 2). Bierce portrayed Peyton as a man who valued his nation wholeheartedly enough to forget what he has, risk his life, and fight lordly in a war he is not rightfully a part of. The act Farquhar committed at the bridge to pause the Northerners advance left a profound effect on him, which altered his values moving forward into the later half of the story. When Farquhar is distraught and walking pleading to escape those hunting for him it is acknowledged…

with the grieving process. How people die irrevocably influences how we remember them. Surely few would wish to be remembered helpless, incontinent, pain racked, or sedated and do not want their family to remember them as such. In “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce, she writes “Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect” (Bierce), she personifies death as a “he” and as a dignitary which commands respect. These…

Many themes can be seen throughout American literature, themes in literature can be divided into two categories: what is the story about and what is the meaning of the story. While there are a large amounts of themes across American Short Stories, there a two themes that are most common than others, Death and Romance. Death is one of the most popular themes that can be found in short stories, and romance too is another popular theme that is found. The theme of death can represent authors mental…