Analysis Of An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce starts off with the protagonist, Peyton Farquhar, standing on a railroad bridge twenty feet above the water. Farquhar stands on a plank with his wrist tied behind his back, and neck tied with rope. The Northern army surrounds him, waiting for the sergeants signal to release Farquhar upon his death. At this moment, Farquhar stares at the river below his feet, watching pieces of driftwood flow downstream. He notices the river flowing slowly. To keep his mind off the current situation, Farquhar closes his eyes, thinking about his wife and children. While thinking, he hears a loud clanking noise, which he soon realizes it to be his watch ticking. Farquhar visions himself escaping by jumping

Third person objective is used in the first section of the story. The story is told all in third person because the use of he, his, and him. The story starts off with objective description. Next shift in point of view, is last 3 paragraphs of 1 ominous section when it goes into mind of Farquhar. The first section is being told like a story but does not go into minds of characters. The third to last paragraph of the first section switches to omniscient. Last three paragraphs of first section are this shift goes into Peyton Farquhar’s mind. To show readers an emotional change in of reality. From the passing of time. (Ticking of watch) used to show the reader what is happening all around. Third person limited omniscient dives into what Farquhar thinks of, the narrator writes, “He closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children”. Second section is a short flashback told in objective third person. Last part is told in first person”” because of this change in pov we don’t think of the truth that he is actually dead. We are instead thinking he actually escaped death and is living. Although it is told in third person, it is very personal and descriptive. The change in perspective from the first is needed for a dramatic more believable in making us think he actually escaped. Finally when Farquhar falls into the river, the story is told from his pov. But not exactly first person because Farquhar doesn’t use “I”. Omniscient third person. And as we find out in this sequence Farquhar is dead. Dead people cannot tell a story what happens because they are