Ambrose Bierce's An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

The Lottery

In Shirley Jackson’s short story The Lottery, the people of a small American town struggle to hold onto a gruesome tradition, one which has greatly affected the moral values of the society. In writing this story, Jackson is commenting on tradition; how, when taken to extremes, it can hinder society. THis horrible tradition of stoning people to death is a normal event from the perspective of the townspeople; one which is practised by the whole town. Early on in the story, the narrator states that the lottery “was conducted - as were the square dances, the teen club, the Halloween program - by Mr. Summer…” (Jackson 1). As evidenced by this quote, the lottery was just another event comparable to other events that society deems normal. In other words:

tradition. However, this perverse tradition is something that should never be practised in 20th century America, or any civilized country, as it is indicative of a complete corruption of moral values. Towards the end of the story, upon having chosen Tessie Hutchinson as the sacrifice, Mr. Summer says to the crowd “All right folks [...] Let’s finish this quickly.” (Jackson 4). There is no remorse or shame in his voice as he says this, despite having just condemned yet another human being to death. The townsfolk also calmly accept her fate; they are completely desensitized to the thought of ritual sacrifice due to the repetition of this tradition. Furthermore, “...someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles.” (Jackson 4). Not only are children exposed to this from a young age, but Tessie’s own children participate in her brutal murder, and this is encouraged by the town.
Moreover, the townsfolk continue this sick tradition despite not remembering the original intention or method of performance. During the story, the narrator takes the time to explain the modern version of the ritual, while also adding that “The original paraphernalia for the lottery had been lost long ago…” (Jackson 1) and “...that the population was more than three hundred and likely to keep growing, it was necessary to use something that would fit more easily into the black box.” (Jackson 1). That last quote shows that the original intention was not population control, as the lottery would have been held with greater frequency as the population increased. The narrator goes on to say this at the end of the story: “Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, the still remembered to use stones.” (Jackson 4). In these quotes, the narrator explicitly states that the townsfolk have forgotten most of the ceremony and the reason for it, yet they attempt to continue this ritual any way possible for the sake of tradition. Through this, Jackson is asking the reader why continue the tradition if the original reason is lost and all said tradition is doing is hindering social progress through a corruption of moral values? Put simply, ignorance in the face of tradition often leads to a corruption of moral values. Breaking tradition may be hard, due to the importance it may have had to people in ages past, yet sometimes it is necessary to grow as a society.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
In Ambrose Bierce’s short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, a man in his final moments contemplates death and, more importantly, his want for survival.

In writing this story, Bierce is commenting on war itself and the contrast between this romanticized tale of heroism and the gruesome reality the hundreds of thousands of men had to face, and still have to face to this very day. The true horrors of war are never normally publicized, and this is why the populace is willing to go and fight. In the case of Peyton Farquhar, this ignorance lead to his blind patriotism, which in turn lead to his death. As the narrator relates to the reader: “Circumstances of an imperious nature, which it is unnecessary to relate here, had prevented him from taking service with the gallant army [...] and he chafed under the inglorious restraint, longing for the release of his energies, the larger life of the soldier, the opportunity for distinction.” (Bierce 2). The aforementioned quote is most definitely an affirmation of the grandeur of the military, and this is the perspective that Peyton Farquhar and many men shared. It is this illusion of grandeur that corrupts many men (and women) to head out and die in horrible

ways.
However, it was Bierce’s mission to educate the people of his own time and the people of future generations about the atrocity that is war. As a civil war veteran, he had seen firsthand what the common folk did tend to ignore. Through Farquhar, Bierce eloquently expresses some common final thoughts of a doomed man. The first is survival, or escape, which flashes through Farquhar’s mind moments before his demise: “If I could free my hands [...] I might throw off the noose and spring into the stream.” (Bierce 2). From page 3 onward, a vivid account of Farquhar’s wish for survival is transcribed in incredible detail. This want for life is a very base, primal human instinct that is nurtured from birth and is only nurtured further by ignorance in the face of a brutal tradition: war. Upon being placed in a life threatening situation, the brain will attempt to prevent it, due to the fact that one believes that one is the hero in one’s own story. Society aids in this misconception by saying that one will return safely, and by ignoring the true danger.
The second thought to race through a man’s head when faced with his death is that of his family. As he falls from the bridge, Farquhar’s final thoughts are: “As he pushes open the gate and passes up the wide white walk, he sees a flutter of female garments; his wife, looking fresh and cool and sweet, steps down from the veranda to meet him.” (Bierce 6). His final thoughts were not of the war: of how he had distinguished himself or if they had won. These issues may be what is important to society, but not to a man on the verge of death.

On the Rainy River
In Tim O’Brien’s short story On the Rainy River, he writes about his struggle to accept his conscription into the Vietnam war. In writing this story, O’Brien is not only coming to terms with his emotions preceding his deployment, but is also commenting on the ignorance of a very judgmental society. In the story, O’Brien mentions that “Certain blood was being shed for unknown reasons.” (O’Brien 1). This quote is a direct acknowledgement of the ignorance of the American people at the time: nobody knew why they were fighting in the jungles of Vietnam. They just did. He goes on to say “...they were sending me off to fight a war they didn’t understand and didn’t want to understand.” (O’Brien 3). This quote merely reiterates the previous point, that no one was certain why they were sending men to fight. But the reason is simple: tradition. Who typically fights in wars, regardless of the reason? Young men, like Tim O’Brien. Much like in Jackson’s The Lottery, ignorance in the face of tradition often leads to a corruption of moral values. In this case, young men are losing their lives over this corruption.
This ignorance also leads to a sentiment of betrayal among the people when someone attempts to dodge the draft. In the story, O’Brien feels a sense of shame when attempting to flee to Canada, as evidenced by the following quote: “What it came down to, stupidly, was a sense of shame. Hot, stupid shame. I did not want people to think badly of me.” (O’Brien 5). The essence of the story is contained within that final sentence; how he didn’t want people to think poorly of him. Tim O’Brien did not want to be branded a coward, but it is due to a corruption of societal values that he feels this way. As evidenced in Bierce’s An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, survival is the top priority for any man, so why should society judge him for not wanting to fight in a pointless war? Had he stayed, Tim O’Brien would have been branded an outcast for succumbing to basic human instinct, and this all due to tradition.