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An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Ambrose Bierce Ambrose Bierce's's tory "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" tells the story of a confederate secessionist, who is being hanged by Union troops. At the time of the hanging, the soldiers drop him from the bridge. Luckily, just as he falls the rope snaps and the man dives into the "sluggish stream." He miraculously takes of his ropes and swims away. When he reaches the bank of the creek, he runs for what seems like forever.
He finally reaches home, where his family is waiting so anxiously for him. However, Bierce chooses to surround this intriguing tell with elements that carry visual, concrete, and intangible symbolism. The symbolic elements of "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" imply that the protagonist, Peyton Fahrquar, is out of touch with reality, which evidently leads to the added twist at the end of the story. Many of the symbols in the story have to do with visual representation. For example, Bierce focuses on one specific color, which is gray.
Gray is the color of the Confederate soldiers' uniforms. It is the also the color the Union soldier wears to deceive Fahrquar. Gray is the color of the figures he sees in the distance in his delusion. It is also the color of the sharpshooter that misses him.
Since gray is mentioned so often, the reader can assume that it has a meaning outside its visual representation. First, the color gray is used to describe the mood of the story. Generally, when one think of the color gray, a poignant feeling arouses. Linking the two, the mood of the story is therefore also distressing.
Secondly, the color gray is used to symbolize Fahrquhar's' role: a middle man without much sense or direction. In the story, the first mention of the color is used to describe him. "He wore a moustache and pointer beard, but no whiskers: his eyes were large and dark grey... " The reader should also notice that Fahrquar is the only one who sees gray, which means the color, represents him. Gray is the intermediate in character and position. Like Fahrquar, who is considered to be in the middle of the situation, only trying to do what he believes is right.
Bierce use of symbolism is far great than the actually concept of the story. He also uses solid or concrete objects to convey his hidden messages. For example his constant mention of the Bridge. Obviously it is a major element of the story. If it where not for this bridge the story would be pointless or worse, non-existent.
Bierce chooses to beginning this captivating tell at a bridge. He writes, "A man stood upon a railroad bridge in Northern Alabama, looking down into the swift water... " He then choose to conclude this tell at the same bridge. He writes, "Peyton Fahrquar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek Bridge. " With so much focus on this element, the bridge, the reader must realize that it offers more than just a setting. It is the symbolic connection between reality and illusion, life and death.
First, it is the symbolic connection between reality and illusion. Throughout the course of the story, Peyton Fahrquar's' perception of reality is completely warped. He believes that he miraculously loosed his ropes, eluded the Union troop, and escaped home. This in reality is absolutely impossible. The bridge (a solid structure, with no escape route available) allows the reader to maintain a sense of reality while still being able to grasp Fahrquar's' illusion.
Secondly, the bridge is the symbolic connection between life and death. Most people view death as a crossing over and beyond death is a "better life." Now taking that ideology in context with the story, Peyton Fahrquar wanted to burn down the bridge to stop the Union Army from advancing and gaining access to the Confederate lands. The Union Army, who symbolically represents death, and the Confederate Army, who symbolically represents life, both needed access to this bridge. However, if the Union Army, which is death, gained access to this bridge, it would evidently provide slaves with a "better life." Another example of concrete symbolism is the water.
In the story, water symbolizes opportunity. Bierce writes, He unclosed his eyes and saw again the water below him. "If I could just free my hands, " He thought, "I might throw off the noose and spring into the stream. " When Peyton Fahrquar opens his eyes, he sees the water. For him this water is his opportunity to .".. evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods and get away home. " In his hallucinations water symbolizes new life, opportunity, and starting over; like a baptism in reality. The final type of symbolism uses is intangible. This type is only seen through Fahrquar's' hallucinations.
The best example is given through his process of dying. Throughout the course of the story, Fahrquar symbolically goes through the five stages of death: Denial, Anger, Depression, Acceptance, and finally Death. This process is symbolic because it is only real to him. An example of denial is when Peyton Fahrquar says, "If I could just loose my hands...
and get away home. " He shows sign of denial by presenting the possibility of escaping, which is highly impossible at this point. An example of anger is when Fahrquar says, "To be hanged and drowned... that is not so bad; but I do not wish to be shot. No; I will not be shot; that is not fair. " In Fahrquar's' hallucination, he gets mad at the thought of being shot after he managed to escape his hanging. Depression kicks in when Bierce says "By nightfall he was fatigued, footsore, and famished. He knew it (his neck) had a circle of black where the rope had bruised it. " Fahrquar is tired and confused.
This is a clear sign that death is near, leading him into depression, which sheds light on his impossible endurance. Acceptance occurs when Bierce says, .".. he has merely recovered from a delirium... and sees home... all bright and beautiful... " This clearly shows that Fahrquar has accepted what is happening, almost as if he has given up.
He finally enters the last stage of his symbolic dying process. Bierce says, .".. then all is dark and silent... Peyton Fahrquar was dead... "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is riddled with symbolic meaning.
Bierce creates a realistic disguise of events until the very end of the story, where he allows the reader to realize that Fahrquar's' escape did not actually occur. He uses symbols to convey the true meaning of this breathtaking story: Perception is Reality.
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