A Twist of Fate

Is the development of events that are to come beyond an individual's control? Can a twist of fate come into play and prevent that which is destined to happen from occurring, or is fate truly inevitable? Such questions are addressed in "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge."

Farquhar is introduced to the reader as he is hanging on a platform, awaiting his inevitable death. Yet through what appears to be a twist of fate, Farquhar is suddenly given a chance to save himself. This opportunity provides the reader with a sense of hope. It is this belief in optimism that convinces the reader that Farquhar will be able to avoid his own fate that seemed to be so inescapable. As Farquhar slips into the water below, barely steers clear of the gunshots aimed at him, stumbles onto land, and begins his journey home, the reader is alongside him and feels sincere emotion. The sympathy for Farquhar that Bierce creates by depicting his humanity leads the reader to hope that this twist of fate might very well exist. The reader has been fully drawn into the illusion of his escape, which has now become the reality. 

Just as the man finally seems to have eluded his treacherous fate, both Farquhar and the reader are faced with the harsh reality: there is no escape. So this brings us back to the question, “Is fate escapable?” It is said that some things are simply meant to be. If such is true, why do we develop a sense of hope that something may happen otherwise? We build up a feeling of security once we feel that we have managed to slip away from fate, yet if things are destined to be, then they will occur regardless. Can a permanent twist of fate actually exist, or is it simply a temporary sense of misguided hope that lures us away from our inevitable destiny?