An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce | In-Depth Summary & Analysis

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Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe provides an in-depth analysis of Ambrose Bierce's short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.
Download the free study guide and infographic for An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge here: www.coursehero.com/lit/An-Occ...
During the American Civil War, Southern patriot Peyton Farquhar tries to strike a blow for the Confederacy and is then captured by Union soldiers.
Standing on the bridge with a noose around his neck, Farquar flashes back to the interaction that led to his act of rebellion.
He drops through the platform and the noose seemingly breaks, releasing him into the river below. He swims to shore and makes his way home to his worried wife.
However, it quickly becomes clear to the reader that he has not in fact survived his execution.
His apparently miraculous survival is a mere hallucination or dream, suggesting the flurry of thoughts that occur as a person dies.
American writer Ambrose Bierce's short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge was first published in 1890. Known for fiction with supernatural twists, and some of the best short stories about the Civil War. Bierce drew on his own Civil War experience, which included being shot in the head. The incident caused long-term side effects, including fainting spells.
The short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge contains many important symbols including the road, which symbolizes Farquhar’s inability to escape his destiny; the bridge, representing the thin line between Farquhar’s life and death; and Owl Creek, representing boundary between reality and imagination.
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[@joeyopes6064]

You’ve saved me way too many times good sir

[@soimn6321]

malcolm is tat you=?

[@hamptonramos8159]

thank you. this saved me in english class

[@williamgregory1848]

It’s almost criminal that this man isn’t talked about in English classes.

[@scarwars]

REAL

[@FidgetTheMidget8P]

Also to everyone using this for class: read the actual text or listen to an audiobook. It won't take too long and reading is good for you

[@queennzinghamataire125]

You're ryt audiobook first then this summary

[@christianking983]

I have a thought on that. Personally, I think that when reading an awfully boring book, these videos help. The summaries for The Scarlet Letter helped me ace the assignments that I had in that book. But you are right about the fact that reading the book is better. This is why I figured out a very efficient way to read these books. How about you watch the summary first, and then read it. This way, you can understand the plots of books written in old English, and you could look for extra details instead of focusing so much on the main stuff.

[@FidgetTheMidget8P]

@@christianking983 these videos are absolutely helpful, and I think that without this first the reading would've beem a slog. Though it's hard to fake an understanding of a story when you don't really understand what perspective/tone the author is going for

[@kaitletson898]

Second video tonight. Thank y’all 😭😭

[@abishekmanojkumar1733]

Well explained Sir

[@tettojehad]

Best summary ever😌

[@FidgetTheMidget8P]

Kurt Vonnegut gave this story a lot of clout, and given how he wrote Slaughterhouse Five in a similar style and using stream of consciousness, it makes sense

[@amrmoustafa5955]

Thank you so much

[@The_DoctorEw]

God, I was given this story as an assignment, my 2nd time ever reading a stream of consciousness, and my teacher didn't give me any heads up so I was stuck, reading this for 6 days (>6 hours of class periods). I believe it was a copied version as well because the grammar and spelling errors were worse than my writing stories in 5th grade. Finally decided to look it up and regret not doing so sooner. ☆

[@iqranoor785]

U always help me in making my assignments🤣thanku

[@dheerajadari199]

Thanks! This helped a lot...

[@strell4z]

Thank you so much for this!

[@norissamaniego4618]

Best summary ever!

[@thenanditasingh]

Your videos are so helpful! God bless you!

[@taisyk1119]

thanks!! this helped me a lot!!

[@TomYaz]

This film was used as a twilight zone episode

[@PaisyAlexis]

not all heros wear capes. some have a youtube channel called course hero and give me details on some random short story I'll never see again.

[@jameslujack1717]

Thanks for digesting...

[@mystic6689]

Wild! It still holds up today as a thought provoking piece! Wish he made it!

[@l3ZGl]

والله انك فحل

[@michaeldidonato1225]

legend

[@MustafaAli-wm4rc]

فلم An occurrence at owl creek bridge میں سنیما کے تینوں elements کا شاندار استعمال دیکھنے کو ملتا ہے. Visual اور Sound کا خوبصورت امتزاجی تاثر فلم شروع ہوتے ہی ذہن پر نقش ہونے لگتا ہے. پہلے ساؤنڈ کے ذریعے سما باندھ دیا جاتا ہے پھر وزؤول کے ذریعے دور سے پورے پراسرار پل کے مناظر کو دکھا کر دماغ میں کسی سانحے کے وقوع پذیر ہونے کی صورت پیوست کر دی جاتی ہے. Sound اور Visual elements دونوں کا امتزاجی کمال فلم کے آغاز سے انجام تک قائم رہتا ہے اور Editing کا کمال خاص طور پر چار جگہوں پر دیکھنے کو ملتا ہے. پہلی بار وہاں پر جب اسے پھانسی کی سزا سنائی جاتی ہے. وہاں ایسا لگتا ہے کہ وہ پانی میں گرا اور تیرکر اپنی جان بچالی. پھر گولی کھاکر مر گیا. لیکن ایسا کچھ بھی نہیں ہوتا. یہ گردن میں پھانسی کا پھندا جھولنے اور موت کی نیند سونے کے درمیان صرف چند لمحے کے حسین خواب کا نتیجہ ہوتا ہے. اور دوسری بار اس Eliment کا کمال اس وقت دکھائی دیتا ہے جب وہ جان بچاتے بچاتے پھر اپنی جائے موت پر پہنچ جاتا ہے. تیسری بار اس وقت جب کہ ہیرو جنگل بیابان سے نکل کر اپنی محبوبہ کی بانہوں میں پہنچ جاتا ہے اور اسے گولی مار دی جاتی ہے. چوتھی اور آخری بار اس وقت Editing Eliment کا کمال ہمیں دیکھنے کو ملتا ہے جب وہ چونک کر آنکھیں کھول دیتا ہے اور جلاد لکڑی سے اپنا پیر ہٹاتا ہے. اس طرح سے یہ فلم سنیما کے تینوں elements کے شاندار استعمال کا خوبصورت نمونہ کہا جا سکتا ہے. مصطفیٰ علی

[@jahazielpolanco6652]

4:40

[@efosaedokpayi1104]

😊

[@francesco5581]

Ambrose Bierce was a nihilistic Agnostic (very inclined to Atheism/Naturalism) due probably to personal experiences. Probably he heard many times about NDEs experience from wounded soldiers so he gave his representation of an NDE (Near Death Experience) from a materialist perspective. Great but very nihilistic.

[@eliseobetancourt2451]

Too many commercials

[@averydestin]

the way you pronounce Fahrquhar absolutely kills me..

[@RussellJaffe]

Why?

[@averydestin]

@@RussellJaffe i’ve always heard it said as “far-qua”, so him pronouncing the r at the end is weird for me lol

[@denizturan3203]

Moin

[@danieladecker7231]

The film was shown regularly to elementary students in the 60’s. Do not know if it still is. It was clearly used as a sledgehammer to crush the ideals and hopes of the students. Perhaps it was a way to prevent what was seen as a failure that led to the kids of the 50s becoming “hippies”. Not to mention the messages of the north being oppressive, making the slave owning, greedy, cowardly south to be freedom loving hero’s. No wonder that so many idiots today espouse that the civil war was about freedom and not slavery. Actually saying “the south will rise again”. Such a very sad failure of education.

[@prathammanyam7083]

Babes

[@SS-mp4wl]

Just stop... you kill the story.

[@christianapoleon670]

he was just explaining it. If you don't like the video just leave. No one needs your comment.

[@RussellJaffe]

But it hurts so good!

[@mmsibi]

Shut tf up