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.

“There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be...” ― John Lennon

In both An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and the Supernatural episode “The Monster at the End of this Book” there is an overarching theme of the presence of fate. In An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, we as the reader are told at the very beginning of the story the predicament that Peyton Farquhar is in. The author very clearly states Farquhar’s “hands were behind his back, the wrists bound with a cord. A rope closely encircled his neck…[which] was attached to a stout cross-timber above his head and the slack fell to the level of his knees”. All the adjectives used by the author such as closely encircled, and stout cross-timber should realistically lead the reader to the conclusion that there is no hope for this man, yet we still continue reading full of optimism. What do these stories tell us about our destinies? Should we give up hope of our own free will and self-sufficiency? No matter what Sam and Dean did to alter their day in comparison to Chuck’s word, Dean still ended up eating his bacon cheeseburger with flowered Band-Aids on his head.  Ambrose Bierce leads the reader along an all too fortunate tale of escape and still the reader blindly follows along with this miraculous ending. While in both stories we hope for the characters to evade their unfortunate ends, we too find ourselves in the end hung below the rails of Owl Creek Bridge by our own optimistic doubt of destiny.

A Fine Line Between Imagination and Reality

"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" displays the incredible ease of deception.  Farquhar is deceived by the Federal scout, and the readers are deceived by the author into believing what is imaginary.  This story toys with the tendency for people to believe what they want to, sometimes instead of the belief that may be more rational.
Farquhar believed the scout largely because of his deep desire to become a war hero; it seemed so easy.   Single-handedly stopping a large group of soldiers is no easy task.  Had Farquhar been thinking clearly, he should've known to have questioned the scout more and found out more information for himself before walking into a potential death trap.  He neglected to approach the task rationally because of his excitement.
The reader falls into a similar trap of deception when we believe that Farquhar has miraculously escaped the noose.  We pity him and want him to escape.  We want him to get back to his wife and children so badly that we are manipulated to blindly believe that he achieves the impossible, only to be abruptly returned to the harsh reality.  We don't question the more favorable outcome as much as we should because we want to believe that it's the truth.

Fate and Our Own Search for Truth

The episode "The Monster at the End of This Book" has manipulated its viewers to embark on a personal journey for truth.

 This episode of Supernatural revolves around the presence of fate. While the television show's story line is certainly unrealistic in parts, it does make you question the idea of fate. Are there aspects of our lives beyond our control? Sam and Dean have their own search for truth in this episode to answer that very question. Upon finding out that Chuck has visions of events in their lives before they happen, Sam and Dean set out to prove that the course of their lives is not predetermined. Much to their dismay, on their search for truth they discovered that their life is in fact impossible to completely control. They were unable to stop certain events from unfolding throughout the day. That was the answer to Sam and Dean’s search for truth, but what’s our answer? Are our lives as predetermined as this episode implies?

Of course, the real world is not quite as black and white as Supernatural. Everybody has his or her own opinions on what impact fate has on the course of life, if any. After watching this episode, we are almost forced to reassess and contemplate our thoughts on the subject. Can this be considered a form of manipulation? Also, is Supernatural manipulating the truth about fate for the sake of storytelling? Or is this concept of fate not as fictitious as some may think?

Fighting Fate

            Initially, it seemed like "Occurrence at Owl Creek" and the supernatural episode couldn't be further apart. Peyton Farquhar was a believable character from mildly well-known short story, while Sam and Dean were straightforward almost cliché' characters who existed in the televised universe of happy endings. In Peyton's case he imagined a believable escape from his doom, only to be cut short by the reality of his situation, his hanging.  Dean and Sam on the other hand were confronted with fate forced upon them, not imagined up. They proceeded to fight against it and take legitimate action to avoid dire consequences. 

However both plots cover the same battle fought in the Greek epics; the fight against the fates. This age old tale is interpreted in two different ways by these two stories. In the Occurrence at Owl Creek, Peyton is just a pawn in the game of fates. He was manipulated by a soldier to try to burn the stockade down, and his only way to fight his very near death is limited to imagining how he may escape. In Supernatural, Sam and Dean attempt to avoid the prophesy by purposefully selecting the toreador motel, and trying to park the car. Unfortunately, they were not able to avoid the fate, but Dean is able to solve the problem by himself and bring everyone back from the brink of destruction. 

Supernatural's ending represents the way we want to see fate and our ability to manipulate it. Being raised in a country that prides itself on its freedom, America's pop-culture loves to believe that everyday people can overcome massive odds and prophesied problems using their own brains and brawn. The reality however, is more like Peyton's, in that in many situations their own fate is out of their hands. The best thing people in dire situations can do is wish for a once in a million chance occurrence to get them out of trouble. Maybe the lie in this situation is the one sent out by pop-culture; that we can break past fate and impending doom to do anything no matter the situation.

Manipulators of Destiny in "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" and "Supernatural"

            Since the beginning of human existence, we have pondered the question of whether or not we are really in control of our own destinies. From the beliefs of John Calvin to the lyrics of “Freewill” by Rush, these sentiments are often present. Even the most rational thinkers have at some point questioned whether or not they are really in control.

            Both “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” and “Supernatural” tackle this fundamental question of humanity in entirely different ways. While both stories involve the twisting and distortion of what is real and what is fake, Peyton Farquhar is confronted by someone entirely real at the start of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.” The Federal spy tricks Peyton into attempting to destroy the bridge, ultimately ensnaring him in a trap of Federal soldiers who immediately capture and (at least attempt to) hang him. In this respect, Peyton’s destiny is totally manipulated by this spy. Instead of living out a comfortable and satisfying life with his wife and children at his plantation, he is left to hang from a noose surrounded by his enemies.

            In “The Monster at the End of This Book,” Sam and Dean meet Chuck, who is able to predict in writing what will happen in their lives. When he predicts that Sam will engage in a “night of demonic passion” with Lilith, Dean is confronted with a major dilemma: Can he change the seemingly inevitable and horrific situation that Sam will face? In the end Dean and Chuck are able to save Sam from Lilith, indicating that although we may be predisposed to encounter some situations, we do have the power to change them.

Fate, Prophecy, Freewill?

Is there a way to escape fate?  An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge argues that there is no way to escape one's fate.  The narrator in this short story vividly pictures his life if he were to escape his death, yet still ends up dying.  Sam and Dean in "Supernatural" test the power of prophecy to see if they can escape their fate. Once they realize that their lives have been dictated by prophecy, they fight for their lives and are able to change the immediate future, but the end of the episode indicates that more danger lies ahead and they have not changed truly their fate.

Are our own lives fated?  Are we living lives that have calculated obstacles and predetermined ends?  This short story and television episode display examples of predestined lives.  Supernatural even goes as far as saying that everything we say and do is calculated.  When Dean and Sam are at the laundromat, Dean reads the book and tells Sam that everything he is saying and doing is written in the book of their prophesied lives.  Do the smallest decisions we make on a day to day basis that seem insignificant actually lead us to our fated ends?  While it may seem outlandish to consider, the truth may be that our lives have already been carved out for us.  Does that make our decisions true if there is no freewill?

Destiny: A Form of Truth?

 

             In any piece of text we are presented with, we are told a story from another’s perspective. We can either choose to wholeheartedly believe the speaker of the story, or we can take what is said with a grain of salt. As readers we are always striving to look past the biases and come away with the absolute truth. However, in both this episode of Supernatural and in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”, the line between truth and lie blurs. We know that our protagonists are trying to evade their impending destinies, but that’s about all we can be sure about. After all, the story is told from their perspective, not ours.

            In this episode of Supernatural, Sam and Dean confront Chuck’s vision in opposite ways. Sam accepts that Lilith will come to find him, but believes that he will have the upper hand when the time arrives. On the other hand, Dean does everything in his power to avoid Lilith’s arrival. And while the brothers handle their predicament differently, they do have some things in common. Both Sam and Dean take whatever precautions they can so their future can play out how they want it to. They believe they have the power to control their fate. In this way neither of them accepts the truth of Chuck’s vision. They attempt to create their own truths. In other words, Sam and Dean attempt to create their own destinies.

            Peyton Farquahar in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” also does not accept his fate. He envisions a heroic escape. He imagines himself undoing his noose, dodging bullets, and swimming ashore to his wife. We as readers eventually come to realize this as Farquahar’s hallucinations, and we are upset to learn that our protagonist is dead. Throughout the duration of his execution, Farquahar creates his own version of the truth. He perceives himself as a hero and we let him. Like Sam and Dean, Farquahar plays with the truth by doing everything he can think of to elude his destiny. But while the brothers use wit and action to cheat fate, all Farquahar uses is his imagination. And ultimately he fails to make his version of truth into a reality. He succumbs to his destiny, his lifeless body swinging from Owl Creek Bridge.

"Not Much Of An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"

Perception depicts reality. Everyone has their own perception and therefore their own reality. Though we all may occupy the same space my insight on reality may be different than your insight on the same reality. “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” depicts many perceptions of a reality.  In the story, while Peyton Farquhar’s stands on the bridge next to two privates, he pictures a whole new reality of his situation.  Although the privates and Peyton share the same space, they may have different perceptions of the same reality. If the story was depicted from one of the private’s perception, then the reality of the situation would be different.

The private may perceive his reality differently, asserting, “I stood on the bridge ready to hang this young 25 year old man. I do not enjoy what I do, but I am proud that I am serving my country.  I was assigned to hang the man at 12:25, as my clock struck at 12:25, I leaned forward to hang the man. He died.” Unlike Peyton’s perception which is detailed since it is the end of his life and he is trying to fully capture every detail, the private perceives the reality plainly because it is his daily event, it plays no significant role.

These scenes show two sides to the same page. Peyton may see the private’s perception of reality as false while the private may see Farquhar’s perception of reality also as being false. Through Peyton’s perception we can see the private as being cold for hanging a man, while through the private’s perception we can see the private as being patriotic. Both of these perceptions are true and false. There are two lies and two truths; it all depends on perception.

This story shows how the writer’s perspective affects the reader’s perception, hence connecting to this class’s theme of how what we read impacts how and/or what we believe.

I found this video online on “An occurrence at the owl Creek Bridge” and thought it was pretty cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBIwib_eJG0