Family And Owl Creek Bridge Piece

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Ambrose Bierce’s short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” demonstrates the lesson that people need to spend as much time with their family as possible. The character, he seems to have some regrets not spending as much time with his family as he probably would like to. He seems to think a lot of them too. He just wants to see them one last time. His house seemed large, probably because of what they were growing crops wise I guess, and because of the time period that they are living in.

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The house could represent some form of symbolism, but that just doesn’t seem very logical, considering the other forms of symbolism.

The plot itself seems to sort of trick people. Like a twist ending. For one thing it makes it seem like he got away, and then once he gets to his family, he’s dead. Well maybe in stead of him making it out alive maybe when he died his spirit still thought he was on the bridge and thought he should try to escape.

Maybe that’s the case and his whole family is actually dead, and he finally gets to be with them and try to be at peace for possibly once in his life. This seems more like a “blow someone’s mind” conspiracy theory. Other than that, the bridge is in Alabama, so that means the bridge is in the south. That is most likely some form of symbolism. Because they did burn a lot of bridges during the Civil War.

And this one in particular serves as a focal point of the story.

Sometimes bridges will represent transitions in literature. Only because they are used as natural connectors, joining pieces of land together. The hanging is probably another form of symbolism. Some other symbolism from owl creek bridge is the driftwood, as the driftwood makes its way downriver, represents both his unattainable freedom and himself as he begins dreaming his own escape in the water. At first, the driftwood catches his eye from thoughts of his wife and children. But later, it becomes an extension of himself, as Farquhar imagines floating in the water as though he is driftwood. The driftwood also indicates his slanted sense of time. As he looks down, he sees the water moving really fast beneath him, then sees the “dancing” driftwood.

He thinks about his family almost the entire time. The Owl Creek bridge suggests connection and transition. Confederate forces or sympathizers had presumably destroyed the bridge in an attempt to prevent the North from advancing deeper into enemy territory. With the important artery restored by Union forces. The Union’s war effort once again gained momentum in northern Alabama, ushering in the ultimate defeat of the Confederacy and bringing an end to the Civil War. Ironically, the target of his sabotage attempt becomes the platform on which his execution is staged. By sabotaging the bridge, he was attempting to erode order and connection, just as he erodes order by fantasizing, in the final moments of his life, about disconnecting himself from his physical body. So, this could suggest that he himself was a confederate sympathizer.

The bridge also serves as an intermediary space, joining the creek’s opposite banks—it is neither one side nor the other, but a connection between them. Similarly, the bridge joins life and death for Farquhar. As Farquhar “escapes” into the water, the bridge suggests a transitional psychological space between fantasy and reality. So, either all of this is a dream, or he really dies. “He looked a moment at his 'unsteadfast footing,' then let his gaze wander to the swirling water of the stream racing madly beneath his feet. A piece of dancing driftwood caught his attention and his eyes followed it down the current. How slowly it appeared to move! What a sluggish stream!” This is where it seems that his mind is thinking about how, if able he should escape. This is a powerful quote, because to other people are just drifting wondering with what could have been. Where they should have gone, or how things should continue on in life.

'Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him.' This could mean that we all know that we are going to die, we just don’t know when. “As these thoughts, which have here to be set down in words, were flashed into the doomed man's brain rather than evolved from it the captain nodded to the sergeant. The sergeant stepped aside.” (Bierce) This could mean that his thoughts are just happening at random, trying to figure out what’s going to happen. While the soldier’s minds already know what’s about to happen. A story of what could happen, what should happen, and what they know is going to happen. In the end it seems that nothing could have changed no matter what kind of day dream he was having.

He still would have died, no matter what escape idea would’ve popped in his head. And he still would, have thought about his family. Because in the end he still missed them and loved them. His mind kept thinking of solutions on how to get out of the predicament that he was in, no matter how. And even if he untied the ropes, he probably wouldn’t have enough time to jump into the water before being shot. Considering how close the soldiers were standing behind him. So, it seems his mind didn’t want to think about him about to die, it wanted him to think how he can escape pretty easily.