Bierce’s "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" completely violates and distorts the division between reality and fantasy, leaving the truth totally ambiguous.
Peyton Farquhar 's excessive loyalty and devotion to his family and his land and unfair execution instantly earned my sympathy. He's the stereotypical good ol' Southern boy. Thus, being an all too trusting (and maybe even a little gullible) reader, my delight could barely be contained at his sudden and miraculous escape. I was never tempted with skepticism at Farqhuar's suddenly incredible immunity and unbelievable recovery. These superhuman traits never struck me as falsities or fantasies. However, the fantasy of Farquhar's escape was literally too good to be true.
Bierce's deception is so powerful because of his presentation of his character. I believe had Farquhar been an actual criminal with cruel intentions, a reader would instantly suspect the ambiguity in the reality of the situation. Bierce understands the sympathy of readers and takes full advantage of that. Because of this, as the line between reality and fantasy can be easily crossed with little disbelief. Bierce's fierce and detailed story telling intensifies as his reader's mistrust escalates.
I agree with you complelty on your blog. Especially your last parargraph with your first sentence. Mainly durig his escape Bierce gives very graphic deatils about action, the pain and suffering of his hanging. All of it is described in strong detail. There is no doubt that these details make you forget about the actual reality; that you sucked into the realm of Peyton's escape and presentation of himself. Bierce did a very devious act by playing with our minds.
ReplyDeleteThis post is interesting. I like your comment about how the reader is more easily deceived because Bierce associates the story's protagonist with positive traits, making the reader want to believe the protagonist’s miraculous escape. Bierce’s positive portrayal of the protagonist made me more willing to accept the extreme circumstances of his escape.
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