"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"

Charles So

English 48B

Journal for Bierce

Author Quote:

"Evidently this was no vulgar assassin. The liberal military code makes provision for hanging many kinds of persons, and gentlemen are not excluded"(361)

Internet Quote:
"The short stories Bierce wrote were of three main types: satirical horror stories, emphasizing the "horror"; anti-war satires, emphasizing the brutality and human wreckage of war; and, by contrast, a crazy group of old-Western "tall tales," the exaggeration being turned to into satiric purposes"( "The Complete Short Stories of Ambrose Bierce" by Ambrose Bierce foreword by Ernest Jerome Hopkins found in Googlescholar.com)

Summary:
In "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," Bierce vividly details the entire story. From the scene at the bridge, to Farquhar narrowly escaping and somehow making it back home, I felt the realism and surrealism of the story. With Bierce's striking messages, there is a tone of sympathy for the military even though they are the villains of the story, for they are merely the executioner doing their duties.

Personal Opinion:
This was a riveting story because i thought he had escaped death, with the cannons shooting and Farquhar i felt he was meant to escape. The story was so detailed it convinced me of the misappropriate situation of the event and i sympathized for Farquhar and believed he should escape. It was during only the last few paragraphs where i felt the surrealism of the event and got suspicious of Farquhar. This story by Bierce has a message of humanity and the great twist ending is great if you didn't catch on early like i did.