The Man On The Bridge Dialectical Journal

There are often times when readers can’t quite understand what is taking place in a book; causing them to re-read or review a page, chapter, section, etc. There are also times in literature where the reader is able to picture or understand what is taking place, but there is a sense of questioning how it can possibly happen. In other words; questioning the reality of each event. This short story is exactly that. Bierce goes back and forth between realistic events and events that aren’t possible. He provides hints throughout the story that lead readers to think these events aren’t possible. Section III is where the majority of these hints are given. Words like “seemed” and “thought” are found throughout section III. These words give the reader no reassurance of what Farquhar is actually aware of. If he is just “thinking” something is happening, why would you think it’s real? If not even he himself knows? Bierce specifically talks about the pains that Farquhar “seems” to be feeling, which doesn’t make any realistic sense.

One example is when he describes the eyes of one of the riflemen. “The man in the water saw the eye of the man on the bridge grazing into his own through the sights of his rifle. He observed that it was a gray eye and remembered having read that gray eyes were keenest, and that all famous marksmen had them“ (Bierce Section III par. 5) is one example where Bierce provides an unrealistic description to the reader. Realistically, it is difficult enough for someone to evaluate the eye color of another person 20 ft. across the room. There is little to no possibility that Farquhar was able to determine the eye color of the man upon the riverbank, especially if he is under water. Bierce uses this description to subtly hint to the reader that Farquhar may already be