An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge Summary

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Theme is the topic or main idea of a story. However, literary stories can have more than one theme because interpretation is at the discretion of each reader. In the short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” the author Ambrose Bierce demonstrates the concept with Peyton Farquhar that things are not always the way they appear to be. Up until the end of this story Bierce has you thinking the trials Farquhar goes through is a reality, although at the end the story the reader will find out differently. At the beginning of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge", Bierce begins the short story with Peyton Farquhar, a 35 year old planter, remaining on Owl Creek Bridge with his situation being anything but hopeful with a noose around his neck. There are executioners from the north standing around him. There are two officers, one on each side of him, one of which steps off the board that allows him to hang from the noose. Prior to tumbling into the …show more content…
It is not until the end of the story, that the reader is aware of any difference between the two because Farquhar's vision appears to be real. In part two of this story Bierce provides details of the past on how Farquhar ends up in the current situation to assist with understanding of his background. Peyton Farquhar background was one in which he did not mind taking on unthinkable adventures. At the end of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” the story leads to an unthinkable ending. Reality sets in at the end of this story as details provide the reader with a thought in which you believe Farquhar survives and lives happily ever after. However, the reader is brought back to reality along with Farquhar, when he sees his wife nicely dressed and welcoming of him at his home. At this point Bierce provides reality of Farquhar dying as a result of hanging from the
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