Perceptions in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and The...

Perceptions in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and The Story of an Hour In An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and The Story of an Hour, the authors use similar techniques to create different tones, which in turn illicit very distinct reactions from the reader. Both use a third person narrator with a limited omniscient point of view to tell of a brief, yet significant period of time. In An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, Bierce uses this method to create an analytical tone to tell the story of Farquhars experience just before death. In The Story of an Hour, Chopin uses this method to create an involved, sympathetic tone to relay the story of Mrs. Mallards experience just before death. These stories can be compared on†¦show more content†¦This creates a suspenseful journey that seems to see him freed from his noose and carried almost home to the loving arms of his wife. As these thoughts, which have here to be set down in words, were flashed into the doomed mans brain rather than evolved from it†¦ (paragraph 7). This period of time in w hich we follow along in our minds seems to last through the day. In the end we find that the time was only in Farquhars head and was really only the last few seconds of his life as he saw it before the rope broke his neck. However, the hanging is not the most significant part of the story because Bierces third person narrator remains focused on the details of the perceived passing of the time rather than the action. Although the hanging is an action necessary to Farquhars experience, it remains in the shadows of the story, as we believe he escapes death and are drawn into his head to struggle with him towards home and freedom. This point of view entices the reader more deeply into the episode than would a less knowing point of view. Bierce plays a mind game with the reader that explores an impossible reality. Although it is not conceivable to be inside someones head to experience his or her thoughts, Bierces narrator does a commendable job of creating a fictional, yet believable example of this impossibility. Bierces method allows the reader to become deeply intimate with the details of the profound occurrence of Farquhars death. He creates aShow MoreRelatedAn Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce1283 Words   |  6 Pages 1. â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge† by Ambrose Bierce Theme: Time can be the perception of each person at each different event in their life In this story one of the key factors is time and how Farquhar sees it.While mere seconds for the soldiers can be hours for the man about to be hanged, time is perceived to be different for each individual, â€Å"Its recurrence was regular, but as slow as the tolling of a death knell.† The idea that time can feel slower at one point and faster at anotherRead MoreAn Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge By Ambrose Bierce1283 Words   |  6 Pages 1. â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge† by Ambrose Bierce Theme: Time can be the perception of each person at each different event in their life In this story one of the key factors is time and how Farquhar sees it.While mere seconds for the soldiers can be hours for the man about to be hanged, time is perceived to be different for each individual, â€Å"Its recurrence was regular, but as slow as the tolling of a death knell.† The idea that time can feel slower at one point and faster at another throwsRead MoreAn Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge1338 Words   |  6 PagesBierce’s short story, â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,† illustrates a theme of illusion versus reality distorted by the human mind. In the story, a man named Peyton Farquhar is about to be hanged on a railroad bridge towards the end of the American Civil War. Farquhar, a Confederate citizen eager to help the Confederate States of America’s cause, ventures out towards Owl Creek Bridge at the advice of a Union scout in disguise. Unbeknownst to Farquhar, Union troops captured the bridge and surroundingRead MoreRealism Unit Test2 466 Words   |  10 PagesRealism – Unit Test 1. Which of the following quotations from An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge reveals an objective point of view? A He was a captain. B He closed his eyes in order to fix his last thoughts upon his wife and children. C His whole body was racked and wrenched with an insupportable anguish! D He had not known that he lived in so wild a region. 2. Why does the author describeRead MoreLiterary Themes Of William Shakespeare s An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge Essay2276 Words   |  10 Pagesclassic stories that give the public not only a form of art but also ways to dissect the story and gain a better understanding of the author s intent. Literary themes allow us to explore meanings deeper than the surface level. Imagery is the author s use of wording that allows the reader to experience everything mentally as they read. This is not limited to sight, but all five of the senses. Without such graphic presentations of the scenes, the reader is not as easily drawn in to the story. As