"Peyton Furquher in Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge" pays the price for being a heroic and courageous citizen by being summarily sentenced to death. Peyton shows his courage by having the devotion for the south with an intention of destroying the bridge. Although he is aware that it might cost him his life and also at the sacrifice of his family members, he was willing to do that, Peyton is being hanged for attempting to burn the bridge. The narrator vividly gives us a picture of the dilemma that Peyton is facing which symbolically shows us how he escaped death and was reborn right before he died. The author evokes sympathy from the reader for Peyton by showing the ultimate punishment he got.
             Peyton was a planter from a respected Alabama family. He wanted to do something to slow the progress of the federal army through the south. He imagined himself to be a solider and accepted the brutal and lawless outlook of war, even as he sits behind the lines, even as a confederate solider receives drinks from "the white hands" of his wife. The soldiers warned Peyton that if any civilian went to the bridge he would be hanged. The author pictures Peyton's style of speech as self-consciously urbane and romantic in a bookish way, which defines his character. Peyton was very patriotic and loyal towards the south. His intentions were to destroy the bridge no matter what the consequences were. He knew that the consequences of his mission was death, yet he still chose to go through wit hit because of the pride that he must protect the south. He was willing to risk all that he had, his family, his wife, his home and his comfortable life to do what he thinks has to be done.
             Peyton was caught while interfering with the bridge and is being hanged for the crime. While he is hanged Peyton dreams of a miraculous escape, which makes him, fall in the river. The author uses symbolism to justify d...