an occurrence at owl creek annotated ambrose bierce

The soldier was seemingly innocent, casually mentioning how to reach the other side of the picket fence of Owl Creek Bridge, setting fire to a driftwood and getting past the Northern sentinel. While his wife went to fetch it, Farquhar asked about the news regarding the situation. The story recalls how he came to the near-death position: he and his wife were at home when a soldier rode by asking for water. It’s here that we learn the name of the main character, the one standing at the edge of the bridge: Peyton Farquhar, a planter from Alabama who is also a politician dedicated to the Southern cause of the American Civil War. We then move to the second section of the story.

But just as those thoughts cross his mind, the sergeant signals for the hanging to begin. He thinks of an idea- freeing his hands and untying the noose, diving into the water to evade any bullets. In his last moments, he closes his eyes and imagines escaping from these clutches and returning home to his wife and children. We learn that the man on the ledge, ready to be hanged, is a thirty-five year old civilian who seems to work in a plantation. Spectators seems to be facing the bridge, with the captain sternly crossing his arms and awaiting the proceedings. Below him is a stream and around him stand his executioners- soldiers of the Federal army- with their weapons and guns pointed down.

The first part begins with a man standing on the edge of a railway bridge, hands tied behind him and noose knotted loosely around his neck. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge | SummaryĪn Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is split into three parts.

An occurrence at owl creek annotated ambrose bierce