Three Deceptions

Ambrose Bierce's "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is divided into three sections, and within each section there can be found a deception. The first lie occurs on the third page, where Peyton convinces himself that he can survive his execution if he can just free his hands. The second falsehood is presented by the disguised Union soldier, who plants the idea into Peyton's hand to try to burn down the bridge. The final, and largest deception is what Bierce does to the reader, presenting an entire narrative in which Peyton escapes, only for this fantasy to come crashing down at the end.

Both the self-deception of Peyton and the soldier’s deception are revealed to the audience. We are told that he is a “doomed man” on the second page, and on the third page we are told that the gray-clad soldier is in fact a Federal scout. It is through these lies that Bierce is able to gain the trust of the reader. By cluing us into these deceptions, we are made to believe that we are knowledgeable, and we have an almost omniscient view of the story, or at the very least one far more informed than that of Peyton.

Another interesting impact of the third lie is that it allows the reader to experience the exact same emotions that Peyton must have felt upon discovering that he had been duped. By putting the reader through the same experience, Bierce makes it possible for the reader empathize with Peyton to a higher degree. In a way the reader undergoes the same self-delusion as Peyton by believing it is possible at all to escape from such a hopeless situation.