One of the many answers to the epistemological question says that if one believes something, it becomes true, as seen in Bierce’s An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. She creates a situation that delves the reader into the live of Farquhar, where they believe all the good that happens during his hanging, although the occurrences that happen during his “escape” are impossible and would not be normally believed.
Readers automatically feel remorse for Farquhar because he is “evidently…no vulgar assassin” that is about to die. When he first talks about his desire to escape, readers wish for it to happen, wanting a typical “happy ending.” Despite his ability to flee from bullets and swim ashore with bound hands, details that are evidently implausible, readers begin to believe everything that is stated about his escape.
Then, after detailing the miracle for eighteen paragraphs, Bierce abruptly ends the story saying that Farquhar was dead, swinging “from side to side.” The ending paragraph shocks readers back to reality, evident that what they were made to believe was not so. Because his “escape” was a heroic, “splendid effort,” it wasn’t hard for readers to believe it. Had Bierce not ended the story with the truth, readers would continue to believe the escape happened, because it is what was desired to be true.
This story validates the statement that what an individual believes to be true becomes their reality.
I really like the way you end your blog. This is very true that people think and believe in what they want to please themselves.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your ending too. Everyone focuses on what they want to believe, and sometimes this can cause a loss of reality. This is what happens in the story; Farquhar envisions his escape, making himself believe it to be true. Most readers also want him to escape, so they too believe he does.
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