Owl Creek Bridge

            Brayan Alvarado

            “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” is a short story about a southern man by the name of Peyton Farquhar.  This story takes place during the civil war.  Mr. Farquhar was a slave owner, and was devoted to the southern cause, and would help the confederates anyway he could to defeat the union.  But during scene III the author changes the verb tense and makes the scene very interesting.  So in the following blog I will be describing why the author wrote the scene, what the purpose is, and how the scene contributes to the meaning of the story.

            First, the reason the author wrote this scene is because he wanted to show the audience the point of view of a southern confederate.  Many people know the union’s point of view was to preserve the union and keep the states united.  But many didn’t know what it is like to be a confederate southerner.  So the scene describes what Peyton Farquhar last thoughts were before he was going to die and shows his emotion and surrounding moments before his death.

            Secondly, the purpose of this scene was to create the environment and scene in which a man’s final thoughts are, right before his death.  “At last he found a road which led him in what he knew to be the right direction.” (p.38)  A description in which the author uses, a shift of story where the reader believes it’s a dream.  The purpose is to make the audience use their mind to determine whether he is dreaming or still alive, or awake.

            Thirdly, the way this scene contributes to the meaning of the story, because the author reveals that his whole struggle of escaping was just an idea of what he had moments before his death.   The author uses present tense to make the ready visualize the emotion and surroundings Farquhar felt during his last moments.  “As he is about to clasps her he feels a stunning blow upon the back of the neck; a blinding white light blazes all about him with a sound like the shock of a cannon, then all is darkness and silence!” (p.39)  An example of the present tense the author uses as Farquhar is about to grab his wife, death was upon him and just dies.

            In conclusion, “owl creek” is a short story that educates us about the civil war and what a southerner’s point of view is.  Not only does it teach us about the civil war, but also on how we are all humans and think alike regardless what side we are on.  So I have just described why the author wrote the scene, what the purpose is, and how the scene contributed to the meaning of the story.