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Occurance At Owl Creek Bridge Essay

700 Words3 Pages

An experience of death in a time of war

What is theme? The Merriam-Webster definition of theme is a subject or topic of discourse or of artistic representation. Authors use an abundance of different techniques when developing and engraving theme into their story. It is an important element that makes a story unique. In “An Occurance At Owl Creek Bridge,” Ambrose Bierce carefully hides the theme in ways that use detail, flashbacks, and conflict, forcing the reader to deeply analyze the text in order to find the qualities that make a story complete. There are many elements in this story that relate to humans and the way they act in real life, which the author put lots of thought into. He begins the story with specific detailing that starts …show more content…

Beginning with the man being hung while in a time of war. It is also expected of the reader to think about the position of war and how the death of this man was one of many. In the situation that he was in, if someone were to have trespassed a bridge enabling union soldiers to cross, they would immediately be charged with death by hanging. In normal non-war conditions, death would not come as easily. "Suppose a man--a civilian and student of hanging--should elude the picket post and perhaps get the better of the sentinel," said Farquhar, smiling, "what could he accomplish?" This quote states that although Farquhar knew of the consequence of trespassing, he questioned the effect he might have, and carried it out. Thus, the proof of conflict adds to theme by explaining the way the man felt about dying for what he believes is right.

In conclusion, theme is an important piece of literature that takes time and effort to put together. In the case of The Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge, the theme seems to juggle conflict from war, and the way that people react to death in real life situations. But without the intense detailing, saddening flashbacks, and troubling conflict, the theme could not have been

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When a federal spy disguised as a confederate soldier tricks Farquhar into risking his life to become the hero he had always dreamed of, Farquhar is put in his unfortunate situation. Farquhar inability to recognize the difference between a federal spy and a confederate soldier leads him to the decision that results in his untimely death. The story itself gives the readers a false sense of hope that Farquhar might actually escape his own death. Palmisano illustrates the author's deception when he writes"Bierce does not overtly inform the reader that Farquhar's escape is a hallucination but expects that the careful reader will realize the impossibility of events described in the final section of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". Bierce expresses his disdain for the deceptive tactics used during the civil war by causing the reader to feel remorse for Farquhar's death.

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