Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is an incredibly powerful and suspenseful story about the fears of a young father as his life swings in and out of reality. The story takes place during the turn of the nineteenth to twentieth century. During this time period the two writing styles of romanticism and realism were coming together. This melding of styles was a result of the romantic period of writing and art coming to an end just as realism was beginning to gain popularity. "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is a perfect example of this transition of styles as it combines elements of both romanticism and realism to create a story that can be far-fetched while still believable at times. The author has plotted the story in a very gratifying manner. The setting plays an important part because it is divided into three different sections. Section I is set when Peyton is about to be hanged and leads us from the beginning of that ceremony to the end when he is actually hung. Section II explains how Peyton found out about Owl Creek Bridge and what could happen if a civilian interfered with the use of that bridge. Lastly, Section III tells the reader about Peyton's hallucination of escaping the hanging.
When the story is read more than once, it is more interesting because subtle ideas and information can be discovered that may have been missed previously. Understanding the plot allows the pieces of the puzzle to mend together and become clearer to the reader. For example, the reader knows that Peyton Farquhar is the man that is going to be hanged and the reasons the hanging is taking place without having to read the entire story. While the story is based on a realistic plot, it is set as a piece of historical fiction that takes a drastic turn towards romanticism. When Peyton, a captured Southern loyalist,
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