Time is defined by “a nonspatial continuum in which events occur in apparently irreversible succession.” (TheFreeDictionary.com) This distortion of the continuous forward motion of time disrupts the perception of reality. When the reader can no longer distinguish actual reality from a perceived reality, other character judgments come into question as well. The disruption of time allows the sequence of events in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” to be presented in a manner that forces the reader to question any assumptions made about Peyton Farquhar’s true character. By taking the reader through the mind of Peyton Farquhar during the moments prior to his death, his miraculous escape, and his sudden snap back into the present, the reader is left wondering about the true nature of time and the effect it has on the awareness of reality.
The story begins with a third person narrative. “A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama, looking down into the swift water twenty feel below.” (Bierce, p. 71) The narrator provides a cold, objective perspective of the initial situation. The lack of subjective emotional description by the narrator allows the reader to observe a distressful situation without becoming emotional attached to the character. “Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him.” (Bierce, p. 74) The subjectivity of emotion is removed and factual assumptions begin to arise. The reader can surmise the narrator is simply relaying a factual telling of an event. By presenting the story with this type of narration, Ambrose Bierce has given the reader a solid perception of reality.
Find out more from UK Essays here: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-literature/an-occurrence-at-owl-creek-bridge-english-literature-essay.php#ixzz3IfLNgN7x
Time is defined by “a nonspatial continuum in which events occur in apparently irreversible succession.” (TheFreeDictionary.com) This distortion of the continuous forward motion of time disrupts the perception of reality. When the reader can no longer distinguish actual reality from a perceived reality, other character judgments come into question as well. The disruption of time allows the sequence of events in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” to be presented in a manner that forces the reader to question any assumptions made about Peyton Farquhar’s true character. By taking the reader through the mind of Peyton Farquhar during the moments prior to his death, his miraculous escape, and his sudden snap back into the present, the reader is left wondering about the true nature of time and the effect it has on the awareness of reality.The story begins with a third person narrative. “A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama, looking down into the swift water twenty feel below.” (Bierce, p. 71) The narrator provides a cold, objective perspective of the initial situation. The lack of subjective emotional description by the narrator allows the reader to observe a distressful situation without becoming emotional attached to the character. “Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him.” (Bierce, p. 74) The subjectivity of emotion is removed and factual assumptions begin to arise. The reader can surmise the narrator is simply relaying a factual telling of an event. By presenting the story with this type of narration, Ambrose Bierce has given the reader a solid perception of reality.Find out more from UK Essays here: http://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-literature/an-occurrence-at-owl-creek-bridge-english-literature-essay.php#ixzz3IfLNgN7x
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