An Occurrence At Owk Creek Bridge

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

Ambrose Bierce writes this short story called "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". It was a pretty interesting story. It was told from the opposite way. You really had to read this short story to understand what was going on. I would say that this short story is first and third person point of view.

It was during the Civil War time. There was this man names Peyton Farquhar who lives in Alabama with his respectful family. Farquhar is a true Southerner during the Civil War. One evening while Farquhar and his wife was sitting on a bench, a Federal scout rode up and asked for a drink of water. Mrs. Farquhar was happy to serve the scout. While she was getting the water, Mr. Farquhar and the soldier was talking about the Yankees repairing the railroads.

He was tricked by the fake so-called Union scout as a Confederate soldier into believing he could stop a Yankee into Southern territory. He was going to do this by destroying the railroad bridge at Owl Creek.

When he had attempted to do this, he is caught by the Army and sentenced to be hanged. They are going to hang him between two bridges. As he stands on the bridge with a noose around his neck, the author makes us believe that the rope breaks and that Farquhar falls into the water below so that he can escape to his farm, where his wife will be waiting on him to return. But at the end of the story, the truth comes out, Farquhar has been hanged and that all of these thoughts took place in a flash before his death.

This is an excellent story. I would recommend that everyone who is juniors in High School read this story. It will really amaze you and your thoughts about Ambrose Bierce.