Ambrose Bierce's An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

A casual reading of Ambrose Bierce’s work “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” reveals the concept of time as a cornerstone of the story. After all, the entirety of the work takes place during the main character’s final moments. The ticking watch in Peyton’s pocket counts down his remaining seconds, mimicking the sound of hammer on anvil. Bierce takes the familiar cliché of one’s life flashing before one’s eyes and translates it into an adventure that unfolds before death. Reading the end of the story for the first time instills a sense of shock and betrayal in the reader. This occurs because of the snap to reality that occurs as Peyton’s neck snaps, marking the end of his life, his brief escape fantasy, and the story. Naturally, this narrative

A river relates to a common conceptualization of time as a constantly flowing stream, thus its symbolism within the story. When contrasted with the watch, Owl Creek acts as a constant in two senses. First, the river appears in both reality and Peyton’s fantasy, acting as the bridge between the two. Within the third section of the story, the action begins when Peyton becomes cognizant after perceiving that “the rope had broken and he had fallen into the stream,” beginning the escape sequence and connecting the story’s two worlds. Secondly, the river faces no time deceleration within the narration, effectively making it an objective reference point for the passage of time, including its incorporation into the protagonist’s dreamt journey. Constant descriptions of the water as “swift” and “roar[ing] like the voice of Niagara” attest to the indelible flow of the Owl Creek. Much like the flow of real time, the flow of the river cannot slow or stop despite how one’s perception of it may change. In addition to the river’s thematic and symbolic importance, it also lends a great deal to the setting and plot. The vast majority of action occurs on the bridge over Owl Creek—hence the title of the story. Furthermore, had Union soldiers not taken the location, Peyton would not have gotten captured, thwarting the occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. Thus, in a cosmic sense, the existence of the river holds as much responsibility for Peyton’s death as the passage of