"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"

As a student in “Truth, Lies and Literature,” I should have known that the short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” would provide anything but the truth. Yet the final statement “Peyton Farquhar was dead” (p. 8) took me by surprise. I couldn’t help but feeling slightly ashamed at believing the story of his escape, especially after we had been told in class to pay specific attention to the believability of our surroundings. Reflecting on the story as a whole however, Ambrose Bierce purposely employs detailed settings and emotions, and takes advantage of the human tendency to sympathize in order to present his story as a truthful one.

Instinctively, most people don’t want others to die, so when presented with a man about to be hanged above a river, the reader’s natural inclination is to feel sympathy toward the man. Bierce appears to capitalize on this sympathy by emphasizing Farquhar’s personal and emotional ties. By juxtaposing the stiff silence of the soldiers to the frantic thoughts running through Farquhar’s head, Farquhar immediately appears to be the victim, and already gains the reader’s vested support in his survival. Bierce also appeals to one’s sense of familial ties. Farquhar’s last thoughts are of his family, thanking God that his “wife and little ones are still beyond the invader’s farthest advance” (p. 3). Thoughts of his family appear repeatedly throughout the story of his escape; they guide him down the deserted country road, and they welcome him joyously upon his arrival home. Even if there are other indications that Farquhar’s escape is a fallacy, the reader wants to believe he survives, if only to see his family again.

The vivid descriptions of the river, the forest, and the empty country roads lead the reader to believe that Farquhar is truly fleeing for his life. Apart from the dim light above, the cold darkness that engulfs Farquhar is exactly what one would expect to see while struggling at the depths of a fierce river. The light growing brighter until it finally breaks the surface, the air cool as it swirls into the lungs. As the reader, there is a sense of panic at Farquhar’s initial drowning, and relief as he inhales; these senses are only present due to the author’s juxtaposed, detailed descriptions of the river, “cold and dark” (p. 5) and of the air, “blinded by sunlight” (p. 5). Similarly vivid descriptions present his escape as exciting, intriguing, and most of all believable. The “prismatic colors in all the dewdrops,” (p. 6) the blue smoke rising from the recently fired rifles, and the canon blasts makes for a captivating escape from the river. Struggling through the interminable forest with only the direction of the sun as a guide, and following the endless road lined by the “black bodies of trees,” (p. 7), his long journey appears to come to an end upon his arrival home. Greeted by his wife, “looking fresh and cool and sweet,” (p. 8) his story seems to have come around, from terrified near death to utter elation. However, it has come farther than that; the story has come full circle. “Peyton Farquhar was dead,” and the numerous details disappear, leaving the reader with only the realization that they have been fooled the entire time.

While still slightly ashamed at being gullible enough to believe every word of the story, looking back and analyzing parts of the story is somewhat comforting. The story was designed to fool the reader; it was supposed to play off of one’s emotions and desire for a happy ending. I doubt that I was the first, and probably won’t be the last to believe this story to be true, but I defend that my trust in the author and his story was not incongruous.