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Character Analysis: An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

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How death is perceived can be different for each person. The passage by Ambrose Bierce titled “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, and “The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich are both great examples of how different authors can write about death. WHAT THE MAIN CHARACTERS EXPERIENCE ARE QUITE DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER, YET IN THE END THEY BOTH FIND PEACE. Bierce describes Peyton Farquhar (the main character in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”) as a very humble man. When Peyton is standing at the bridge; the author describes how during the Civil War even the nicest of men may die. “The liberal military code makes provisions for hanging many kinds of persons, and gentleman are not excluded” (1). Peyton knows that there is no running when it comes to his death; this is not something that he can escape from. To prepare himself he tries to think of anything but dying. At the end of the fourth paragraph Bierce gives the reader the sense that time is slowing down, “A piece of dancing driftwood caught his attention and his eyes followed it down the current. …show more content…

That if he can free his hands, he will be able to escape and reach his family that is far beyond the Union’s borders (Bierce 2). This thought brings Peyton joy and hope after he once thought that he had non. The main character in “The Red Convertible” also comes to this joyous state after he goes on a trip with his younger brother. “‘You’re crazy too,’ I say, to jolly him up. ‘Crazy Lamartine boys!’ He looks as though he will take this the wrong way at first. His face twists, then clears, and he jumps up to his feet. ‘That’s right!’ he says. ‘Crazier ‘n hell. Crazy Indians!’ I think it’s the old Henry again” (Erdrich 313). Erdrich goes on to explain how Henry is doing this wild dance right before he jumps into the river (313). Although both characters come to this peaceful place each one gets their

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