Who Is Farquhar In An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

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“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” Analysis In American history, the 1860’s were a time of pure stress for the citizens of the United States. The Union and the Confederate armies were at war with each other regarding whether slavery should be legal. Hundreds of thousands of men died at war in order to support their families. The story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce follows a confederate soldier named Farquhar who was nearing the end of his time. The author strategically uses elements of sensory details, foreshadowing, and symbolism in order to reveal more about the character of Farquhar. In the story, Bierce uses principles of sensory detail in order to show Farquhar’s thinking. For example, when describing the seconds …show more content…

This fits in perfectly with the characterization of Farquhar; a character with endless motivation who ends up getting absolutely nowhere in the story. The author uses the plot line of Farquhar ending up right back where he started to prove his own beliefs in life. While the foreshadowing hints at the protagonists’ death, Farquhar’s actions and thoughts still go on to show what a determined man he is at heart. Furthermore, the use of symbolism around and through the character of Farquhar shows more about the true character of Farquhar. In Farquhar’s imagination at the beginning of the story the author writes “with their greater infrequency the sounds increased in strength and sharpness. They hurt his ear like the trust of a knife; he feared he would shriek. What he heard was the ticking of his watch”(Bierce 12). In this quote, the ticking of his watch is a direct representation of time left before death, and acts as a bridge for when the main character’s imagination kicks in. The watch represents Farquhar’s death, and even significance in the story when it switches over to his …show more content…

"Do I Wake or Sleep? Technique as Content in Ambrose Bierce's Short Story, 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge'." Short Story Criticism, edited by Joseph Palmisano, vol. 93. 72, Gale, et al., 2004. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/H1420058863/LitRC?u=gwt1&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=96d96439. Accessed 17 Mar. 2024. The. Originally published in American Literary Realism, 1870-1910, vol. 19, No. 1 -. 3, Spring 1987, pp. 113-114. 52-67. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary'. Bierce, Ambrose. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” Ambrose Bierce: The Devil’s Dictionary, Tales, and Memoirs. https://loa-shared.s3.amazonaws.com/static/pdf/Bierce_Owl_Creek_Bridge.pdf Fox, Roy F. “Mental Imagery and Writing.” Journal of Teaching Writing, vol. 78, no. 1, pp. 113-117. 13, No. 1 -. 1–2, Jan. 1994, pp. 113–122. 127–46. The. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=40b723aa-c447-3db9-8ab6-001fd5dac330. Palmer, James W. "From Owl Creek to La Riviere du Hibou: The Film Adaptation of Bierce's 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge'." Short Story Criticism, edited by Joseph Palmisano, vol. 93. 72, Gale, et al., 2004. Gale Literature Resource Center, link.gale.com/apps/doc/H1420058856/LitRC?u=gwt1&sid=bookmark-LitRC&xid=39b2892a. Accessed 17 Mar. 2024. The. Originally published in Southern Humanities Review, vol. 78. 11, No. 1 -. 4, Fall 1977, pp. 113-117. 363-371. See the full list of vacancies. “Symbolism.” Britannica Online. EBSCOhost,

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