Swinging Gently

We all have been played.

That's what Janelle tells us, that we're all being manipulated. Now, that's what Ambrose Bierce shows us.

Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"is a rather unsettling story because it calls into question our understanding of reality. Throughout much of the story, Bierce constructs the reality of the story on the basis of the powerful imagery used to describe Peyton's experiences in Part III. This world seems so real because we are allowed to experience it. We feel the torment of the noose strangling him, the cold and darkness of the river (4), and the uncomfortable warmth of a sinking bullet on his neck (6). We can see "the individual tress, the leaves, and the veining of each leaf" (5). We can smell "the fragrance of...blooms" (6) along the river bank. We even feel the love Peyton has for his wife as he glimpses her "matchless grace and dignity" (7). We experience the world as Peyton does. Everything seems so real because we can feel it all. And so we accept it, allowing our senses to convince us of a concrete reality.

But we are wrong. The reality we seemingly experience, the reality of the story our senses tell us is real,  is torn out from underneath us only to show that we readers have been deceived. All along, Peyton has been hanging from the noose tethered to the beams of Owl Creek Bridge, swinging "gently from side to side" (7) with a broken neck. Because the rope had never snapped, he never felt the cold waters of the river below, nor did he smell the vernal odors of the river bank. He never even saw his wife one final time. The rope remains intact, tethering him and the reader to the true reality of death.

Thus, we have all been played.

How easily our senses are deceived! How seamlessly we allow ourselves to be manipulated! Yet this is our nature. The human body is weak for we desperately must rely on our senses to construct a reality and the world around us. We unceasingly cling with any sensation, any odor, any sight, to anchor ourselves. Yet when our senses are removed, when we can no longer see, hear, feel, smell, or even taste, we are untethered. The rope snaps and we are left to helplessly adrift through world like ships lost in a storm. Our senses are our lifeline. Without them, we know and are nothing.

However, if we rely on our senses so much yet they are so effortlessly deceived, then how can we ever know what reality really is? Whether it is the world of a story or the world we live in that we refer to, how can we ever be one hundred percent sure that the world really exists as we experience it? How do we know that the way we see the world isn't the consequence of manipulation?

The truth is, we can't be. At the end of "The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge", we aren't sure whether everything we just experienced is real or just a fantastic lie. We are full of doubt, wondering where the truth lies. Likewise, in life, we are constantly wondering if there is more to reality. Is this not, after all, the foundation of religion, the very basis of faith? Thus, this story does not merely question our understanding of some arbitrary fictional reality. The real-world implications of such a question instead confront us with deeper philosophical disputes that we cannot necessarily grapple.

So we are left hanging, swinging ever so gently on the tether of our own reality.

What is truth and what is imagination?

Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

After only being in the class for two days, my mind has opened up to look and caught where the author draws the line between truth and lies. Ambrose Bierce was able to capture the reader into thinking the civilian was free and safe from death only to find out that he was imagining his escape as he was hanging from the bridge. The whole point of imagination is for you to create your own story, your own truths about a situation. It very clever how a lie was portrayed in this story. I was very shocked by the end of the story, to find out that my feelings of relief for the as he arrived home safely were false and that I was tricked. Manipulation was point the author was trying to make. It was all a  dream and he hoped for reality. 

Supernatural

This episode of Supernatural brings in a lot of different ideas. The point of the episode was to show the audience that they were supposed to know what was coming. However, that is not true because the ending of the episode was not written in the so called story. The creator of the episode wanted the viewer to believe was going to happen but bring a twist into the plot because not everything is as it seems. One part of the episode referenced a bridge that was guarded by police officers which ties together with Occurrence at Owl Creek. The overall episode I believe was an interesting interpretation of Owl Creek in aspects such as manipulation of the audience or reader. The creators want to make you believe in something while at the same time they are lying to you about what happens in the end. 

What is the boundary between illusion and reality?

 Upon viewing the Supernatural episode “The Monster at the End of This Book,” along with reading Ambrose Bierce’s short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” I found myself contemplating whether fate could be altered, as well as the relationship between illusion and reality. In Bierce’s short story, we see that no matter how hard he tries, a man’s fate is not determined by the individual, but rather by outside circumstances. In Supernatural, demon-hunting brothers Sam and Dean realize that their lives over the past four years are actually being documented in a series of books. Once they finally find the author, he informs the brothers that once he drinks himself to sleep, visions of their lives appear in his mind; the author then transforms his visions into written work. Sam and Dean try to alter fate by reading the author’s work before it takes place, but are ultimately unsuccessful in their endeavors. I think that fate is simply the course that one's life takes, and therefore cannot be altered.

In addition, I noticed that in both Supernatural and Bierce’s short story, the line between reality and illusion is often blurred. Bierce takes the reader on a wild ride, shifting from the present to the past to the assumed-present, which is actually Farquhar’s imagination, and then back briefly to the present. Bierce mentions a “gray-clad figure” and the figure’s dark gray eyes in his writing; perhaps he uses the color gray as a motif to symbolize a blurry, hazy time period that is distinct from reality and illusion.  In comparison, the author of the Supernatural books as well as the two figures must deal with the author’s psychic visions of the brothers’ lives, another alternate form of reality.  I would argue that most people believe that illusion and reality are two separate concepts that are often opposing. However, does illusion ever permeate into reality? Illusion is a phenomenon that is clearly drawn from reality, as one cannot exist independently of the other. Therefore, the lines between illusion and reality seem to be a lot less defined than one might expect.

Fateful Truth

            If a tree fall falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If the whole truth is not told is it really a lie?  Both “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce and the episode from Supernatural, “The Monster at the End of This Book” are centered around truth and destiny and call into question the inevitability of one’s fate and the necessity for truth. 

            Bierce leads his readers to believe that the main character Farquhar has been able to escape his unfortunate fate that is death.  Despite the revelation that Farquhar imagined the entirety of the third part of the story, why wouldn’t the readers believe Bierce?  As a reader, viewer, bystander, we are not taught to instinctually question the authority of an author, and in the case of Bierce’s story, he is handing the reader optimism, something that one would want to believe in.  However, Bierce rips that optimism out from under us as he reveals the lies that his story was based on.  The episode of Supernatural played with a similar effect with a twist of an ending, making us as viewers question how much of the episode actually occurred and how much was just imagined by the so called “profit”.

            The ending of “The Monster at the End of This Book” not only puts into question the truth of the episode, but it questions the idea of destiny.  A new character is introduced in the final minutes of the episode and proceeds to warn the profit not to share what he has imagined to Sam or Dean because, in his words, “People shouldn’t know too much about their own destiny”.  While this quote makes a point about the danger of knowing one’s own fate, it gets further at whether or not destiny is a reality.  Quite the controversial idea that is “destiny”, I personally believe there is no predestined path for me to follow and hate to think that I would not be able to escape my own fate.

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?

Mediums of Manipulation

                Both the Supernatural episode, "The Monster at the End of this Book" and Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" manipulate the reader or viewer through their mediums. Both rely on the audience’s imagination and emotion, their ability to connect with the story.  This emotion is often evoked through the use of detail.  In the Supernatural episode, the reader connects with the setting, which is often dark and dreary. This follows well with the plot, which dooms Dean and Sam to a fate determined by Chuck’s visions. The deep voices and stressful conversations, aided by the acting of the actors, contribute to the mood in the episode, and presumably the rest of the show. The cinematography also adds to the suspense. As with the fading letters on the motel sign (which end up spelling “Red”) leave the viewer in a helpless position – in possession of more knowledge than any of the characters and with nothing to do about it. Occasionally, the viewer is reminded of this position with comments on the plot. The story is seen as a story when it is presented in book form within the show. Comments on the written stories point out how cliché it can be. Perhaps this only sucks the viewer in further though, as it may be seen as a story within a story.

                Bierce’s story also manipulates the viewer with the tools available. The story is largely seen from the perspective of Farquhar, as the reader is largely only able to follow his story specifically. The vivid details, especially in Farquhar’s escape feed the reader’s imagination, attaching him or her more to the story. Without visuals, the reader relies purely on the details provided. Here, the writer has more power than a director or producer, because of his ability to play with perspective with ease. While the story is told in the third person, the reader easily connects with the character as he sees and feels the things seen and felt by Farquhar. Both the episode and story reveal the creator’s (writer/director) ability to manipulate. 

Is Fate More Dangerous Than The Unknown?

How unbelievable it is to watch our beliefs played out before our eyes; when the ideas we take on faith become reality. The notion of fate versus free will, ever discussed by religious, philosophical, and scientific officials alike, remains a difficult idea to conceptualize and discuss rationally. Supernatural created an interesting diagram of fate driven existence, albeit an absurd one. In “The Monster at the End of the Book,” we can see the horror of knowing what lies ahead and the paradoxical conflict between knowing what will come and wandering into the unknown.

Sam and Dean, once aware of their fate, try desperately to alter the future but have to watch in horror as their efforts go down in vein. Their efforts end up condemning them to the fate they feared and it was not until Dean decided to stop fighting fate that the situation was saved. The episode suggests through its direct representation of fate, that fate is more dangerous than living with the unknown. “The Occurrence on Owl Creek Bridge” presents a less absurd confrontation with fate, but one that sees a similar struggle to that of Sam and Dean. Confronted with certain death, Peyton Farquhar could only fight fate with his delusions, and, like Sam and Dean, they evaporated entirely.

While Supernatural is highly exaggerated and “The Occurrence on Owl Creek Bridge” may only describe a narrow situation, the two suggest that, whether or not fate is predetermined, perhaps, for sanity’s sake, we should never know our own fate. And further, no human should be forced the curse of correcting that which is ultimately far removed form its own control.

A Supernatural Creek

In An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, sympathy plays a major role in the believability of the story. As readers, we are easily lulled into the false belief that the protagonist is in fact saving himself because that is the outcome we want for him. It is much more engaging to root for a character in danger than read about his defeat. The author also ensures that we know about his perilous situation right from the beginning- before we know anything about his background. This enables us to form a sympathetic view of him without any previous knowledge that might otherwise create a bias or lessen any pity felt for him. In Supernatural, Sam and Dean face the ultimate power of the writer; one that is greater than any demon they have encountered. The parallel lies in the fact that in both situations, the protagonists are helpless to the authors. The two brothers can only combat their fates with outside forces that are at odds with what was written. Similarly to Farquhar, Sam and Dean are just pons in the game of the writer.

Is manipulation lying?

The short story Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge has a dramatic twist at the end. This twist makes the reader realize that what he was led to believe wasn't actually true. The way the story was told can be perceived as the author lying to the reader, but was it really a lie? Lying can be considered a "manipulation of the truth", which is exactly what the author did. However, lying can also be defined as the falsification of information. The author never exactly falsified any of the information in the story, he just seamlessly changed the perception of what is happening. This change of perception was from the reality of what was happening to Farquhar, to Farquhar's imagination. It isn't entirely clear when this change of perception occurs, but it's most likely when the sergeant steps off the plank. The story jumps to the background of how Farquhar ended up in the position he is in, and then back to what the reader believes is occurring at the bridge. This gave the reader the perception that what Farquhar was imagining would happen when he fell from the bridge, actually happened. It was only revealed at the end of the story that the reader was manipulated into believing one thing, when that "truth" never actually happened, it was only dreamed by Farquhar. The reader realizes that the detailed dream of Farquhar escaping occurs in the small amount of time between when the sergeant steps off the plank and when the rope breaks Farquhar's neck.

Could this manipulation be considered a lie? Changing perceptions isn't lying but it can lead one to believe they are being told a lie, because it is the manipulation of what is actually occurring. This raises the question of when the manipulation of truth turns into lying, making us question what actually constitutes a lie.

Occurrence on This Blog Site

Allow me to begin by mentioning that I have already read Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. This second time around, however, I tried very hard to read this story in a manner that pertained to this class, as far as ‘what are the truths and what are the lies’ goes. Obviously this was a work of fiction, and yet I still read it as a biographical account of an unfortunate soldier. As I reflect back on that little fact of reality, I begin to wonder why? Fiction, by definition, is not true; a ‘fictitious’ work of literature tells a falsified story of imaginary events and people, and occasionally places. So, then, what separates a lie from a short story? What makes a lie “not real”?

The story does not exist outside of the pages. However, inside and upon the pages, the story does exist. The story is “real” because Bierce made it real by writing it down. But at the same time, the story is unreal; with that being said, though, this story is not a lie. Or is it? What is a lie? When I told that room full of people in the first week of class that I had two dogs, one chocolate lab and one yellow lab, was I lying? Or was I just entertaining my audience with a very short story? It is an interesting question, I believe, about what separates a lie from any given work of fiction literature? Truth be told, I would much rather be known as “a great author” than “a pathological liar”.

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

From age five we are told that lying is wrong. So I would like to challenge my parents to explain why authors are allowed to lie? Why is TV allowed to lie? Why should I assume everything other people tell me is true?

I would always get into trouble for lying about cleaning up my toys, or brushing my teeth, but I never told people that one time someone almost died, but ended up surviving when they actually died.

In “An Occurrence at Own Creek Bridge,” the narrator tells the story of Peyton Farquhar’s survival and death. The story first goes into detail of how the main character escapes his death sentence by the army. This turns out to be a complete lie, he actually dies and the story of his survival was simply a dream. Why is the author allowed to lie to me? Is it okay for him to tell me that the character survives when in fact he dies? I find it quite rude.

In the episode of Supernatural, Sam and Dean find books that tell the story of their lives. These books are all true, with excruciating detail. The author of the books ends up being a prophet, who dreams about what will happen next to these demon-fighting brothers.

So, who decides which authors are allowed to lie? Am I allowed to lie if I write it on paper?

Don't sweat the small stuff

I guess a lot of us had a similar reaction to last week’s assignments. I discovered that the word "fate" has been used 44 times in the past 11 posts. While this may sound unoriginal, I too have been thinking about fate a lot. I had a pretty shitty fall semester, and I often found myself asking, “Why is this happening to me?” as if I would get an answer. After watching “The Monster at the End of this Book” I understood how out of control Dean and Sam must have felt. Believing, until that moment in the comic store that they were the deciders of their own fate, only to realize that they’re merely pawns in someone else’s grand plan must have been terrifying. They must have wondered what their purposes were—whether they’re unique individuals or completely lacking control over their actions. You could see their shared fear that something more powerful than anything they had ever encountered could be controlling them.

Shakespeare’s great works center around the idea of fate, how “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” This theme has been running throughout literature for centuries. In An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge we read Farquhar’s story. He, like most of us never realizes his own fate. He believes he is speaking to a confederate solider when in reality he is being fated to die. Farquhar decides to destroy the bridge, but in reality did he even have a choice? Ambrose Bierce wrote his story, so Farquhar never stood a chance. His fate was decided before Bierce began writing. I like to believe that I do have a say in my future and my life isn’t as staged as Farquhar’s. After all, if every action we take and every decision we make is already decided for us, what point is there in existing?  

I see that someone else posted a John Lennon quote, which made me think of this one: “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” I think it’s best to embrace that, but also know that you are the decider of your destiny. I think what John Lennon meant, what Dean and Sam come to realize, and what Farquhar portrays is that we shouldn’t get caught up with the small stuff.

Argument Against Fate

Fate seems to be loosely defined as an inevitable progression of events in one’s life that cannot be changed or altered by any external causes. I am not challenging the idea of fate, nor discrediting it, but merely arguing that an external cause relating to fate is indeed our own perception and justification of it, in the form of hope. “An Occurrence at Own Creek Bridge” acts as a quintessential example to highlight the “inevitability” of fate. Unfortunately for Farquhar, there was no escaping his dangling death. Yet, we as readers are lead to believe first, that there is much hope he will escape the hanging, and second, that he does in fact live through the hanging after an incredibly detailed summary of his escape. Neither prove to be true, as the last sentence of the narrative confirms Farquhar “inevitable” fate. However, we would be left with absolutely no story if it weren’t for Farquhar’s hope in the form of hallucinations of his own escape. When considering this in a greater context, if we all have fates that are destined for us, why do we bother experimenting with new ideas, trying new things, or forming any types of aspirations? Aspiration, defined as “a hope or ambition of achieving something,” is the exact opposite of fate. If we are ultimately unable to achieve what we hope to, because of our fate, it seems pointless to even try. Despite this, we still try, day in and day out. We are always trying to be better, smarter, faster, and more equipped to handle whatever is thrown at us. We are never able give up hope, and Ambrose Bierce does a good job of capturing this.

Whether we are able to control our own fate or not is not something I am educated nor experienced enough to tackle. But, I am willing to argue, using Bierce’s work, that without the idea of hope and challenge to fate, there would be no longer be any fate, but instead a stagnant and sad reality awaiting us all.