Literary Analysis Of An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

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Recommended: Reality vs.fantasy in a modern world

Carolynne Garutti
Tillema
COM 1102
October, 01, 2017
Analysis of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” In “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” a young man by the name Farquhar is being hung from Owl Creek bridge for a crime he has committed. As the hanging begins to take place, Farquhar’s reality leaves and his mind takes over. He believes he has escaped his execution and has the opportunity to reunite with his family. The plot of the story follows Farquhar as he attempts to escape from the executioners and officers surrounding him in this creek.The story ends with Farquhar running into his wife’s arms only for reality to return and the hanging to be completed. The image this story paints is formed through the author’s point of view, the symbols …show more content…

The driftwood symbol plays a major role in the plot development and understanding of events occurring during Farquhar’s adventure through the creek. At the beginning of the story, when Farquhar is standing on the bridge preparing to be hung, he looks out into the creek and sees the driftwood floating through the water. At this time, the driftwood symbolizes a sense of freedom Farquhar longs for. At this time, he also begins to dream of escaping his execution and reuniting with his wife. The driftwood is free to flow through the creek while he is bound by ropes and preparing to meet his demise. Later during on during the plot the driftwood begins to come a symbol for Farquhar himself. The driftwood floats through the creek, calmly and without direction and this is what Farquhar longs for. To be a piece of driftwood flowing through the creek. Another major symbol in the story was Farquhar’s pocket …show more content…

All of the major points in the plot of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” are examples of this. The reality in the story is that Farquhar is hung for the crime he committed. He was unable to escape his fate and the climax of the story proves this. The part that seems real, but in reality is only a version of the truth that is real within Farquhar’s own mind is included in the rising action. The story line does not give any indication to the reader that they enter a dream like sequence when the rope breaks, this leads to the reader being unable to separate what really occurs and what only occurs inside of his

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