4-3 An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

Ambrose Bierce lived from the middle of the 1800s to the early 1900s. He was born to a poor family of farmers in Ohio.  His parents were very religious and in this case, he turned against it.  He developed a hatred for it, and expressed that in his writings.  He left home as quickly as possible, becoming an apprentice.  Soon after enlisting in the military during the civil war, he re-enlisted twice before getting out.  He served during a time when many bloody battles were fought.  He eventually like every other author got a job writing, and was known as "bitter Beirce."  He wrote of broken families, death, separation, and maiming.  His childhood really left him jaded in my opinion, but it served him well in his writing career.  What do we write from but experience?

In the novel "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" his life experiences and talents are really evident in this particular story.  He really puts himself into the story and uses his military life and childhood to develop the characters.  This story surprised me.  I was completely unaware until the very end, that in fact he imagined it all.  This was my absolute favorite story of all.  I was so surprised at first I did not even know how to respond to it.  This story takes place at Owl Creek Bridge Peyton Farquhar was caught and is now a prisoner of war.  A man with a wife and kids to support, it was a time of war and for that no one cares about who the enemy is, just the fact they are the enemy.  The soldiers were so cold in the movements and facial expressions.  I am sure Bierce was able to describe this scene so well because he had lived it.  It automatically made me wonder what he had done while in the military and what he had seen.  At the same time he was the enemy, the man with a wife and children. 

Different stories are said about what happens when you die.  I wonder if imagining your escape is something that ever happens.  I was sure he had dropped from the bridge and escaped into the water.  The man was so set on getting free and I was caught up in the story.  I see where the bitterness of Beirce's writing comes into play, making the reader beleive the man was free.  When you feel happy that he has escaped he tears the happiness away with the reality that the man died.  I actaully laughed I was so surprised, but I should have expected it.